A tasty partnership putting food on the table for people in need

Chobani is a longtime friend of Foodbank, having donated more than 1 million meals to Aussies in need. Now we’ve become besties thanks to a brand-new yogurt made just for us, with 100% of the profits being donated to Foodbank.

‘Fruit for Good’ is a fruit salad flavoured yogurt with a delicious blend of fresh pineapple, strawberry, watermelon, and apple. Dig deep and swirl the real fruit through the Greek yogurt and enjoy the little rumba on your tongue!

We’ve worked together with Chobani to create this yogurt every step of the way, from initial ideas through to team tastings, and are in awe of the generosity shown by Chobani’s entire supply chain. From ingredients through to packaging and retail, partners have donated goods and services to ensure that 100% of profits can find their way to us.

To try it for yourself head to the fridges at Woolworths, Coles, or leading independent retailers and pick up a pot of Fruit for Good – just think of how many people will benefit from one delicious tub of yogurt…

174 k’s of Victoria’s most beautiful and difficult cycling terrain.

With the pandemic kicking our annual Hunger Ride to the curb in 2021, being able to stage the event this year amongst the alpine y beauty of Bright is a total bucket list moment.

Our seven corporate teams of four will sweat it out through the high country to the summit of Mount Buffalo and back, riding 174 k’s with the aim of raising $100,000 – that’s 200,000 meals on the table for Victorians in need.

Teams have been training and fundraising up a storm, supported by family, friends and colleagues who understand what’s really involved in getting food to vulnerable families, and why we need to keep striving, collectively, to do more.

Riders will be shoulder to shoulder with Australia’s very own voice of cycling Matt Keenan, Tour de France Green jersey winner Baden Cooke and in late breaking news, the legend himself, Cadel Evans (our ONLY Tour de France winner) will be joining the peloton on the day. If they’ve followed the training guide developed by Hunger Ride expert and current pro rider Brenton Jones (he just came second in the world’s second oldest bike race so his training cred seriously checks out) the pace will be onski.

Like to support a team or rider?

Great outcomes can be achieved when programs and services work together.

Schools can make a big difference when it comes to creating a healthy eating environment. When children and young people eat well, they learn better, are more alert and are more likely to grow and develop to their full potential.

Darley Primary School, which is located 60 kilometres from Melbourne in the outer suburb of Bacchus Marsh understand the importance of this through their engagement with the School Breakfast Clubs Program, the Healthy Schools Achievement Program and the Healthy Eating Advisory Service. These programs and services help schools to transform their food offerings, so students are surrounded with healthier food and drink options.

It is with this in mind that Darley Primary School has embraced healthy eating programs and services supported by the Victorian Government.

The Programs and Services Available to Schools

The Healthy Eating Advisory Service (HEAS), delivered by Nutrition Australia, in partnership with the Victorian Government, supports community-based organisations to create and promote healthier food environments. HEAS provides free resources for promoting healthier food and drinks across the whole school food environment, including the canteen and food service, the classroom and broader school community.

HEAS supports schools to develop healthy eating policies, provide healthier food and drinks, integrate healthy eating activities into the curriculum and engage the wider school community to promote healthier choices. HEAS has been a valuable resource for Darley Primary School to make healthy changes within their school environment, in particular the school canteen menu.

The Healthy Schools Achievement Program is a free Victorian Government initiative, delivered by Cancer Council Victoria that supports schools to create healthier environments for children, staff and families. The Achievement Program takes a settings-based approach to health and wellbeing and has seven health priority areas, with accompanying benchmarks, for schools to work towards. Darley Primary School have been working on two of these priority areas, Healthy Eating and Oral Health, and Mental Health and Wellbeing.

The School Breakfast Clubs Program, supported by the Victorian Government and delivered by Foodbank Victoria, provides free and healthy food to 1,000 Victorian government schools, including Darley Primary School. The School Breakfast Clubs Program is helping Darley Primary School achieve their Healthy Schools Achievement Program benchmark, as it provides a range of ‘green rated’ or ‘Everyday’ menu items and offers students a safe place to interact with their peers and staff.

It cannot be overstated just how much of an impact these programs and services have within the school environment, helping students have the best chance at fulfilling their potential, both physically, emotionally, and academically.

Individually these programs and services offer valuable support to Victorian schools, however integrating all three ensures that children are provided every opportunity to both learn about and receive fresh healthy food.

Using The School Breakfast Clubs Program to increase student intake of healthy food, foster positive social interaction and improve nutrition literacy.

The School Breakfast Clubs Program fills bellies, but it also offers a space for students to socialise in the morning. Students from different year levels come together, share a meal and socialise with people that they may not normally interact with.

Wellbeing Officer at Darley Primary School, Cherie says that the Breakfast Club models positive social interaction, students regulate each other. The kids leave happy. In addition to what it provides the kids, it allows me as Wellbeing Officer to have very casual quick check in with almost 30 kids a day which I couldn’t normally do.”

Cherie has managed Breakfast Club for four years. During that time, she says, “the breakfast program was initially perceived as a service provided to those kids who don’t have breakfast. Now the younger kids come every day. It is now the norm for many students.”

Dale, Head of Health and Physical Education also highlighted the broader benefits of the School Breakfast Clubs Program, “I’m quite impressed that it’s not only the food, it’s the experience they get by actually eating and socialising with each other, it’s also learning to prepare and clean up after themselves. It’s the life lessons that everyone benefits from.”

In addition to the nutritious start and positive social interaction that Breakfast Club provides, students are also able to take advantage of the fresh fruit provided by the School Breakfast Clubs Program during their daily fruit break. During the fruit break teachers also educate students about nutrition and healthy eating.

Incorporating nutrition literacy into the daily fruit break is a practical way to educate students about the health benefits of fruit and vegetables.

Assistant Principal at Darley Primary School, Emma highlighted how having fruit available throughout the school has also given students the opportunity to take a break and self-regulate. “They might come to my office for a piece of fruit and share something that might be bothering them.”

Schools that provide healthy food throughout the day, as well as a safe and social environment for students to interact and enjoy a meal, means they are well on the way to being recognised for the Healthy Schools Achievement Program’s Healthy Eating and Oral Health, and Mental Health and Wellbeing health priority areas.

The Achievement Program also encourages schools to engage with their local school community to assist at Breakfast Club. If you would like to see how Breakfast Club can assist with achieving these benchmarks, please click here.

Using the traffic light system to choose healthier foods and drinks, and encourage discussion about healthy eating.

With the support of these programs and services, and the guidance provided by the Department of Education and Training (DET), School Canteens and Other School Food Services policy, Darley Primary School has been able to select and supply healthier food and drinks in the canteen and at Breakfast Club using the traffic light system. The traffic light system categorises foods and drinks as either GREEN (Everyday category), AMBER (Select carefully category) or RED (Occasionally category).

HEAS has been a valuable resource for Darley Primary School to make healthy changes within their school environment, in particular the school canteen menu. HEAS assists schools to provide and promote a variety of healthier foods and drinks, giving students the power to make healthy decisions. HEAS offers a wide range of services to help schools including:

Food Checker – a free, online menu, recipe and product assessment tool providing instant feedback against the School Canteens and Other School Food Services policy
Free resources – menu planning, food and drink ideas and recipes, implementing healthy eating activities into the curriculum, engaging the ‘whole of school’ community
Training – free, online training to support you in ‘providing healthy foods and drinks in your school’

Dale also notes the effort that has gone into developing a healthy canteen, “Our Canteen Manager Ben is working with a farm to fork model and is committed to working with the kids to provide healthier choices”. With support from HEAS, Ben has used FoodChecker to assess and receive free advice on the school canteen menu.

The Achievement Program at Darley Primary School

Tameaka is a local Health Promotion Officer from Ballarat Community Health and has been supporting Darley Primary School in their work towards the Healthy Schools Achievement Program benchmarks for the last four years.

For two years they focused on healthy eating, “We found that for success it’s important to have that key person at the school really driving things. We started on healthy eating two years ago and it has taken time to engage parents and students. We’ve found that adding more healthier options rather than taking foods off the menu has worked well. We are just ensuring that new menu options meet the healthy eating criteria.”

The Healthy Schools Achievement Program also highlights parent involvement as an important step in creating a healthy school environment. Including parents or guardians in the big decisions, whether that’s through the transition of the canteen menu, assistance at Breakfast Club, or offering support to families outside of the school environment, will more likely result in healthy eating habits being adopted in the home. Darley Primary School are in the final stages of completing the Healthy Eating and Oral Health priority area. Tameaka emphasised that “the way they have engaged parents, staff and students has really made a big difference. It’s great to have the support of the whole school community. I think it is great that the canteen is now reflecting what kids are learning in the curriculum as well.”

Like Tameaka, there are many Health Promotion Officers throughout Victoria willing to assist schools in their effort towards being recognised as a healthy school. Health Promotion Officers are available to support schools who sign up to the Achievement Program. Their support varies and can range from providing guidance to schools who are looking to transition their canteen in accordance with DET School Canteens and Other School Food Services policy, through to providing recommendations to schools that can support them with achieving benchmarks set out by the

How to get involved

For schools who would like to take steps towards becoming a healthier school, we recommend you contact the Achievement Program team at Cancer Council Victoria. They will be able to connect you to a local Health Promotion Officer and provide you further information on ways your school can start working towards a healthier, more supportive environment for students, staff and families.

Or if you want to fast-track your schools’ efforts, why not start with the newly launched Vic Kids Eat Well. This exciting new state-wide movement is a partnership between the Achievement Program and the Healthy Eating Advisory Service. It aims to boost healthy food and drink options in the places children spend their time, including schools, out of school hours care, sports clubs, council operated facilities and more. It is designed to make healthy eating easier, more engaging and faster to implement. For more information visit https://www.vickidseatwell.health.vic.gov.au

We also recommend you visit the HEAS website. They have many resources that can assist you to provide and promote healthier foods and drinks in your school environment. You can also access an infographic from their website that provides an overview of all of the healthy eating and oral health services available to support schools with creating a healthy eating culture.

If you are interested in finding out more about the School Breakfast Clubs Program, head to the Foodbank Victoria website.

INFORMATION FOR VOLUNTEERING AT FOODBANK

Thanks for raising your hand to volunteer at Foodbank Victoria.

You will be hands on in our warehouse packing food for Victorians who are doing it tough.

Here is everything you need to know:

Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination

In line with Government legislation, everyone onsite at Foodbank needs to be fully vaccinated. Proof of vaccination will be checked on arrival. Volunteers without proof of vaccination will not be permitted.

OH & S and Manual handling requirements

Due to the physical nature of working in a warehouse, volunteer roles involve significant amounts of manual handling, and a reasonable level of fitness is required.

Manual handling includes sustaining movements of repetitive lifting/bending, pushing/pulling, twisting/turning and walking for extended periods of time. Some heavy lifting up to 15kg may be required.

Warehouse volunteering may not be suitable for anyone with muscular, skeletal or back injuries.

Please consider if this volunteer activity is right for you. We do not allow volunteers to participate if we determine they are unable to perform the tasks safely and do not have alternative activities available on the day.

Time

8.30am to 2.30pm

Please arrive on time as late arrivals will hold up the team induction.

Feel free to arrive any time between 8.15am-8.30am. Coffee/tea facilities are available on arrival.

What to bring and wear

Bring socks
For your safety we provide steel capped boots and gloves which are mandatory to wear.
Please bring long, thick socks to wear with the boots.
Alternatively, if you have your own steel capped boots you can BYO.

Bring your lunch and a drink bottle
We have a fridge, microwave, water and tea/coffee facilities. Lunch break is half an hour and there are no cafes nearby.
If you’d like to organise catering for your team, contact us for local caterer recommendations.

Wear comfortable clothing

suitable for bending, lifting and repetitive movements. Shorts/pants/leggings/jeans with a comfortable t-shirt and jumper is recommended.
The temperature inside the warehouse is generally the same as outside.
We do not have air-conditioning or heating in the warehouse.

Getting here

Address: 4/2 Somerville Road, Yarraville.

Our warehouse is located within an industrial complex. Enter the complex at the intersection of Somerville Road and Whitehall Street.

There is free all day parking onsite. If you can’t find a park onsite most of the surrounding side streets have all day parking.

If you’re catching public transport, our warehouse is a 15-minute walk from Seddon or Yarraville station.

COVID-Safe

We follow DHHS guidelines and the safety of our volunteers and staff is our top priority.

Our COVID-Safe plan includes;

Fully vaccinated staff, volunteers and visitors
Proof of vaccination on entry
Contact tracing through Service Victoria
Full time cleaners onsite to clean and sanitise high touch and traffic areas
Provide gloves and sanitiser stations throughout the warehouse
Requirement to wear masks consistent with Chief Health Officer direction

A full copy of our COVID-Safe plan can be emailed to you upon request.

Do not volunteer if you are unwell, experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, are required to be in isolation/quarantine or have been in contact with someone with COVID-19.

For further information, please contact us on volunteering@foodbankvictoria.org.au

We look forward to welcoming you to our warehouse soon.

Meet Elisseo, our Friendliest Staff Member!

“I started as a casual forklift driver and then soon after a position came up as Warehouse Manager, and here I am”.

Was Foodbank what you expected?

Foodbank definitely exceeded my expectations. I came into this role as a casual and didn’t think it would be a long-term thing. But then I saw what we do here, how we affect people’s lives, and it became so much more than just a job. I really enjoy what we do here – the drive-thru’s, seeing people come in and drop off food donations – it gives you that warm, fuzzy feeling.

What does it feel like when you tell people you work at Foodbank?

It gives me a great sense of pride. The minute I mention Foodbank everyone says “Oh Foodbank! I’ve heard about them, they do really good work”. I’m very proud of the work we do here.

What is it like working side by side with volunteers?

It’s great – it’s still hard for me to get my head around the fact that there are people out there that are so selfless that they will come in here week after week and not only do their role, but do it well. They take real pride in what they’re doing.

What is something people might not know about Foodbank?

Although people know who we get our food to, I don’t think people realise that we are an actual warehouse. There’s a whole element of logistics that goes on behind the scenes with a lot of moving parts: we have trucks, vans, pop-up markets, lots of different programs. But we have an incredible team who get all these intricate moving pieces into place – from a logistics perspective alone, it’s amazing.

Is there anything you would like to say to our wonderful supporters?

Trust in us, and we will make that magic happen and get meals on tables to the people who need it. It makes me emotional to think of everything that has been donated so far, without the support of our donors none of this would be possible.

A lifechanger.

In November last year, Alex was looking at the festive season ahead and simply didn’t know how she would afford enough food for her four kids, Amelyia, Izabella, Archie and Peyton, much less presents under the tree.

Thanks to your generous donations not only did Alex have a full pantry, the money she saved on buying groceries provided the opportunity for the kids to get some lovely presents.

Alex now also has a full-time job! Not only does this provide financial security for Alex’s family, but so many other benefits as well. A sense of self-worth, and something important to do every day.

Thank you for supporting Alex and families just like hers through the festive season. Your special gift provided so much more than just food on Christmas Day – it gave hope, dignity, and reaffirmed self-worth.

Big Bus, big deal.

Foodbank Victoria is thrilled to be introducing two whopping 18 metre ‘articulated buses’ (bendy buses) to it’s collection of vehicles. With the assistance and support of SkyBus and Kinetic, we have turned these buses normally used for airport transfers, into the coolest mobile supermarkets on the planet. (We think we may have a world first!).

With entry at the back and exit at the front, the 18-metre bendy buses offer a miniature supermarket experience with shelving and refrigeration stocked with a range of fresh produce, pantry and staple items. Each bus will support approximately 100 families at every location with around 15 kilograms of food per family.

Foodbank Victoria CEO Dave McNamara says the mobile supermarket program will allow many struggling Victorians to access healthy and nutritious food.

“This is a concept that allows us to visit people who often don’t have the capacity to travel or who aren’t receiving food relief in the traditional ways. It also allows us to provide a truly bespoke food relief service to the emerging culturally and linguistically diverse communities around metro Melbourne”.

Keep an eye out and give us a wave if you see the big purple buses (sounds like a Wiggles reference. Funnily enough, the first bus is named Dorothy!) heading in your direction.

To see Dorothy in action, click on the arrow

Hamish Blake & Chrissie Swan join the Foodbank Family!

We’re high fiving ourselves silly to have these two on board as ambassadors.

Known for his national radio show with Andy Lee and more recently winning the hearts of Lego fans everywhere as host of Channel Nine’s Lego Masters, Hamish took part in our annual cycling event ‘The Hunger Ride’ in 2020, and was immediately keen to do more.

“I’m super proud to represent the work of Foodbank because they make an immediate difference to people in need in an area that couldn’t be simpler: food. Whether it’s families hit by bushfires, COVID-19 or refugees, Foodbank is there to, at the least, help them eat”.

We are thrilled to have him. Not only was he the The Hunger Ride’s biggest fundraiser in 2020 (amazing), but his enthusiasm is tops.

As one part of the Chrissy, Sam and Browny radio show on Nova, Chrissie first noticed our work in early 2020. “I watched with awe at how Foodbank Victoria heaped love and assistance on people doing it tough during the pandemic and the bushfires and thought: Gee, I wonder if they’d have me?”. Um, yes we would. We were so excited we even had one of our team create Chrissie her very own high vis vest. (shh, don’t tell Hamish).

Chrissie and Hamish will continue to help us spread the word through 2022. We might even put them to work on our hamper line. Let’s see if they can pack more hampers than Lizzo or Gordon Ramsey!

You might call us crazy but we have a HUGE goal this Christmas…Together with Gandel Foundation we can create ONE MILLION MEALS for Victorians in need.

Until midnight Tuesday, Gandel Foundation are doubling your donation dollar-for-dollar. Your kind gift today will create DOUBLE the meals and have DOUBLE the impact.

Victorians have been hit harder than ever in the past year. So we want to make sure families in need not only have good food on Christmas Day, but well into the New Year too.

Let’s do this Victoria!

Alex knows first hand what it’s like to go without.

Alex is a mother of four beautiful children who are as amazing as their mum: 11-year-old Amelyia, eight-year-old Izabella, six-year-old Archie and five-year-old Peyton.

The courage with which Alex is fighting to keep all four of her kids safe from abuse, poverty and the pandemic will leave you inspired. You see, although Alex and her children are holding on right now, they are not yet out of the woods. In fact, Alex is worried that the festive period may be their hardest yet.

What Alex has endured is unimaginable. Alex shared with us that the downward spiral that led to empty cupboards began when the father of her children turned to violence.

She did escape, even though she knew doing so would leave her with the challenge of bringing in an income and still parenting four young children on her own. Somehow Alex managed to keep her family afloat, which is no small achievement when you consider her work involves providing in-home aged care and disability care – an exhausting job and one filled with anxiety throughout this pandemic.

It was a difficult time, I’m sorry to tell you that things were a bout to get worse. As Alex explains:

“I began a relationship with a man who seemed so gentle and kind, but to my horror, I found out he was abusing my daughters. I had to get the kids away from him fast, and waiting in hope that I might receive social housing was simply not an option. So I rented a house privately in another town, and moved my family far away from him.

It was a terrifying time, but we managed it – and thank goodness we did, as it was only a few weeks later that the pandemic took hold and we had our first lockdown. The thought of being stuck inside a house with that man…it’s too awful to contemplate.”

Alex was fortunate indeed to escape when she did. It was her quick thinking and courage that spared her own kids such a fate, but doing so came at a desperately high cost:

“Trying to find the money for a private rental during COVID has been a nightmare. With four little kids, it’s often just not possible to make ends meet.

It’s still hard for me to speak about the moment I realised there simply wasn’t enough food in the pantry, or money in my account to get us through the week. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more ashamed than I did in that moment. I took a deep breath and told myself, Okay. I need to sort this out.’ I swallowed my pride and with Peyton, my youngest by my side, we went down to the Community Centre. I tried to make it seem like and adventure.

Having her with me reminded me why I was there: for my kids. She helped me put my feelings of inadequacy to one side. I can’t tell you how relieved I felt when I saw the food that was laid out before us – food that I later learned came directly from Foodbank Victoria. I went home that day, hand in hand with Peyton, feeling a thousand times lighter.”

Alex’s story is one of many. It is thanks to the generosity of Victorians like you that we can continue to ensure food is on the table of those most vulnerable.