Darebin Information and Volunteer Resource Service

For almost 30 years, Darebin Information and Volunteer Resource Service (DIVRS) has been providing a wide range of support to its diverse community in Melbourne’s north.

Through the organisation’s food relief program, community members on a low income are entitled to collect a free parcel of staple groceries and a parcel of fresh produce. Running four days a week, the program is currently assisting 200 households a week, with that number rising.

“We’ve got around seven to 10 new clients coming to us each week. That’s why we need to prepare for this increasing need, which will be significant over the next five to 10 years,” said Frances Trimboli, Executive Officer at DIVRS.

Complementing the products sourced through food charities, DIVRS has a trained horticulturist and team of volunteers who manage the Urban Food Program – a series of grassroots initiatives addressing the challenges of food insecurity in the Darebin community.

Current projects include The Backyard Basics: a thriving on-site garden with a greenhouse to cultivate seedlings and raised garden beds growing edibles; and The Darebin Fruit Squad: a team of volunteers who harvest excess fruit and produce from households in the neighbourhood.

DIVRS also works with local schools around the issues of food insecurity through its Urban Food Program.

We provide seedlings and the schools grow some food on our behalf.

Last year DIVRS raised funds to purchase a van which Frances believes is a “game changer” for the community.

“Now with the van, it provides a resource to Darebin and the northern suburbs because our volunteer group can go out on a weekly basis and do weekly pickups from Foodbank. We will be taking a lead role in doing some of the pickups for some of the smaller agencies that are part of the emergency relief network for Darebin,” said Frances.

Find out more about Darebin Information and Volunteer Resource Service at divrs.org.au