The general manager of a Warrawong charity will face court next month, accused of cheating the organisation out of more than $12,000.
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Police will allege Lizzie Millar defrauded the Hope Centre Food Barn on four occasions, swindling sums of $5000, $3000, $1200 and $3000.
Ms Millar was arrested at the charity’s Shellharbour Road headquarters about 11am on December 2.
She was later charged with four counts of dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception.
Ms Millar, 51, of Primbee, was granted conditional bail to appear at Port Kembla Local Court on January 18.
It is a condition of bail that she surrender her passport to Lake Illawarra Police Station.
She is also prohibited from entering the Hope Recovery Centre on Shellharbour Rd and must not approach or contact any witnesses in the matter.
Police inquiries into the matter are continuing.
The nine-year-old food barn provides people on low incomes with access to quality food.
Speaking in July 2016 at the launch of the Illawarra Food Hub – a region-wide approach to collecting good food destined for the tip and delivering it to people in need – Ms Millar said the problem of food affordability was “getting bigger”, and gave an insight into the service’s clients.
“At the Food Barn alone, we have seven new people join every day because they cannot afford to put food on their family's tables," she said. “They're broken. They are busted, busted people.
"We're here because we care about people and, you know what, it could be you tomorrow - it's that simple."
Ms Millar said then it was no longer just the homeless or those battling an addiction who required help.
"Ten per cent of our client group is that traditional group, the rest is your average Aussie doing it tough.”