Foodbank Victoria named Yarra Trams Community Partner

We are very excited to be partnering with Yarra Trams as part of their Community Partnerships Program in 2020.

Yarra Trams is the largest, and one of the oldest, tram networks in the world and an iconic, much-loved symbol of Melbourne.

Just like our network of charity partners, Melbourne’s tram network brings people together by providing a service where everyone is welcome and included – no matter what their background, beliefs, preferences or abilities.

It’s at the heart of our community, connecting people to the places they want to go by providing a safe, sustainable, and inclusive travel option. And we know that with 5000 services a day, 1700 stops, and 487 trams in its fleet, Yarra Trams is playing a role in food relief too – transporting Melburnians on a daily basis to any one of our 280 metro-based charity partners for a warm meal, emergency food hamper or other vital support service.

The 2020 Yarra Trams Community Partnerships Program will provide $1 million of free advertising value to eight community organisations making a positive impact on diversity and inclusion in Melbourne. And this year, Foodbank Victoria is thrilled to have made the cut!

Keep your eyes peeled for us on Melbourne’s tram faces from October to December 2020, to celebrate our 90th year helping to feed Victorians in need.

Foodbank is here for the long haul as the drought persists

Over a year ago, the Australian public rallied behind farming communities struggling with the devastation of the ongoing drought. Drought conditions have worsened dramatically in others and it’s time to look after our rural communities.

Foodbank has unique insights into the impact of drought from two perspectives – firstly through the voices of rural and regional charities and schools who are increasingly reliant on our support; and secondly through shortages of some of our most important food items, from rice, milk and meat to breakfast cereals, fruit and veggies.

We are proud to have nurtured wonderful relationships with our farming communities. In fact, in good seasons, our farmers are among our most generous donors, regularly donating their produce – both perfect and imperfect – to help fight hunger in Australia. That’s why we are so determined to return that generosity. Our rural and regional communities need us now more than ever, and we are acutely aware of the need for support to be provided to those in crisis throughout the drought recovery period and beyond.

Foodbank is but one part in a much wider effort from many charities and organisations working collaboratively to provide the most effective and efficient relief to affected communities. We know that the impacts of drought are felt well beyond the farm gate, and Foodbank is here for you all. We are working closely with the National Farmers’ Federation, Country Women’s Association, support agencies and our charity network across drought-affected regions to identify what additional support is required in terms of food and grocery relief.

We are also keenly focused on rural mental health and wellbeing, not just for those directly affected, but also for those supporting our farmers and rural communities through one of the toughest periods they’ve ever had to face. It’s okay not to be okay, and we encourage you to reach out to one of the support services below if you or someone you know needs support.

Lifeline on 13 11 14
Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36
Kids Helpline 1800 551 800

By harnessing our terrific relationships across the food and grocery sector, our established partnerships and the community’s ongoing support, we will continue to provide ongoing food and grocery assistance. Whether it be food or personal care items, Foodbank is here to make sure families feel supported throughout, and we assure you, we’re right here with you for the long haul.

Paula’s Story

Hunger can be such a complex issue, as there are so many triggers that can lead to food insecurity. For Paula, it was domestic violence.

Imagine having to choose between fleeing an abusive relationship knowing it would make it almost impossible to make ends meet, or staying in an environment where you constantly feared for your safety.

“Leaving an abusive relationship was really hard. What was even harder was knowing that I wasn’t going to be able to feed my children” said Paula.

While no one should ever have to face that choice, the reality is 1 in 4 women have experienced domestic violence, and many of them care for young children.

Paula has been kind enough to share some of her darker days with us so we can try and understand what it was like for her.

“I used to get so hungry and break into tears because I didn’t have enough money for food. Sometimes I used to cry in the car, so the kids didn’t see” – Paula is back on her feet now but still gets a little help from Foodbank to help ends meet. She is living proof that your generosity is helping break the cycle of domestic violence.

As a supporter of Foodbank, your valuable donations go exactly where it is needed the most. To provide families and children across Victoria with wholesome nutritious food, vegetables, dairy and staples.

Thank you for helping fight hunger in Australia.

Want to help people like Paula?

Cox Automotive Australia teams up with Foodbank to drive away hunger

Drive Away Hunger – a Cox Automotive global campaign – is an initiative aimed to support local foodbanks in a bid to help world hunger.

For the fourth consecutive year, Cox Automotive Australia (CAA) brands across Australia ran a 12-day food drive, with all donations going to Foodbank.

As part of the initiative, CAA invited all staff to take part in a nationwide CANstruction – building sculptures entirely of donated food!

Here are some of the marvelous creations….

Cox Automotive Australia teams up with Foodbank to drive away hunger

Over 12 days, a total of 1,741 kilograms was collected and donated to Foodbank – including 270 kilograms to Foodbank Victoria. This gigantic donation will provide more than 3,130 meals to Australians who may be struggling to put food on the table.

“Supporting our local community is a value we as a company take very seriously. We encourage our team members to volunteer and help out as much as possible,” said a Manheim staff member.

Thank you to Autotrader, CarsGuide, Dealer Solutions, Manheim, Sell My Car and Xtime for choosing Foodbank for this CAN-tastic initiative!

Inspired to hold a Food Drive?

Team Foodbank runs Melbourne

Fundraisers young and old braved the cold to run against hunger for Foodbank!

It may have been a chilly mid-winter morning, but that didn’t stop Team Foodbank from turning up the heat at this year’s Run Melbourne event on Sunday, 28 July.

Nearly sixty walkers and runners took to the streets of Melbourne’s CBD to take on the 5km walk/run, 10km run or Half Marathon.

The Foodbank spirit was alive and collectively, more than $10,000 was raised to help vulnerable Victorians through the winter months.

This year, Team Foodbank was joined by fundraisers from all ages. Prep to Year 12 students from Cullen House, St Leonard’s College, sported Foodbank jerseys as they conquered the race around Melbourne, raising more than $850 in the lead up to the event.

Meanwhile the youngest addition to the team, six-year-old Max D’Alessandro, raised more over $1,700 for his first ever Run Melbourne, and alongside his family, completed the 10km run with a proud smile on his face!

It truly was an inspirational day filled with determination, compassion and kindness.

Congratulations and thank you to everyone that joined and supported Team Foodbank for Melbourne’s most anticipated running event of the year!

Want to support Team Foodbank?

Socceroo legend serves up breaky

Students of Campbellfield Public School in Sydney’s south west were treated to a soccer superstar serving them breakfast earlier this month.

Tim Cahill, Weet-Bix Ambassador, attended the breakfast club on a chilly morning before the school bell rang, to help serve Weet-Bix, toast, delicious fresh fruit and hot drinks to 180 local students attending Foodbank NSW & ACT’s School Breakfast 4 Health Program.

Breakfast club has never been so busy or chaotic with children lining up, hoping to be served by the ex-Socceroo striker himself. With breakfast eaten and tummies full ready to start the day, Tim led the assembly with ball juggling and words of inspiration, ‘Make your dreams big and bright, there’s no limit to what you can achieve!’.

More than 1 in 5 Australian children have experienced food insecurity in the last 12 months – right here in our backyard. Foodbank currently supplies 2,600 charities and provides 272,000 school breakfasts a week to more than 132,000 children in 2,000 schools.

Sanitarium, one of Foodbank’s National Donors, provides the iconic cereal in addition to other products to Foodbank School Breakfast programs around the country.

The Foodbank School Breakfast programs operate smoothly thanks to our generous National Donors and state government funding in various states.

SYDNEY 30 May 2019: Foodbank’s national milk program partners – Parmalat, Lion Dairy & Drinks, Fonterra and Saputo Dairy Australia have collectively received the 2019 Foodbank Award for their collaboration to fight hunger in Australia.

Presented at the Food & Grocery Australia conference dinner held by the Australian Food & Grocery Council (AFCG) in Sydney yesterday, Foodbank praised its dairy partners for the extraordinary collaboration with regular contributions on the production of fresh milk to help Foodbank provide relief to more than 710,000 Australians every month.

Announcing Foodbank’s highest accolade, Foodbank Australia CEO, Brianna Casey, said; “This prestigious award is presented to an AFGC member or members showing vision, innovation and leadership in partnering with Foodbank to deliver greater impact in providing food and groceries to vulnerable families across Australia.

“This year, our dairy partners receive the award for what has proven to be an extraordinary eight-year collaboration providing 1 million litres of fresh milk a year. This industry sector program is unique to Australia and sets a benchmark for foodbank/industry partnerships around the world.

“Without the support of generous partners such as these wonderful milk companies, we would simply not be able to assist the millions of Australians accessing food relief from our network of 2,600 charities around the country.

“Despite facing turbulent industry and market conditions, Parmalat, Lion Dairy & Drinks, Fonterra and Saputo Dairy Australia supply Foodbank with fresh milk in every state and territory each and every week of the year. This allows school students around the country to have milk on their cereal when they sit down at a breakfast club, it enables pensioners to add milk to their cup of tea or coffee at the drop in centre and it provides families with a staple ingredient for meals such as mac and cheese,” Casey explained.

Also on the night, the Flight Centre Foundation’s General Manager, Anita Russell, was inducted into the Foodbank Hall of Fame. Announcing the induction, Casey said: “Anita has been at the centre of the Flight Centre/Foodbank relationship since its inception seven years ago. Not only is it an incredibly valuable partnership for Foodbank but, thanks to Anita, it is the north star of corporate engagement.

“From workplace giving recruitment drives to ‘The World’s Biggest Hamper Pack’, Anita has repeatedly challenged and motivated us and her Flight Centre colleagues to do more and achieve more. No idea has ever been too big or too crazy once Anita her applied her ‘can do’ magic.

“Thanks to her passion and energy, the relationship has gone from strength to strength such that Flight Centre staff and company have funded 8.2 million serves of long life milk as well as 2.4 million serves of pasta sauce, canned fruit and rice,” Casey said.

As a long-standing supporter of Foodbank, the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) provides a platform for Foodbank to present the Annual Foodbank Award at its premier, annual event, Food and Grocery Australia Dinner. Foodbank thanks the AFGC for allowing it to celebrate Foodbank hunger fighters and congratulates its award recipients.

Foodbank welcomes Labor’s commitment to helping hungry Australians

8 May 2019 – “Foodbank welcomes today’s commitment from Labor to double funding for food relief organisations” Foodbank Australia CEO Brianna Casey said today.

“We have made a case to all parties to deliver a National Food Security Strategy with significant funding to support it, to help address Australia’s food insecurity crisis,” she explained. “We look forward to working with the incoming government to ensure that vulnerable and disadvantaged Australians have reliable access to sufficient safe and nutritious food”.

Foodbank’s case for a National Food Security Strategy can be found here and its policy and funding priorities ahead of the federal election can be found here.

Hunger in Australia an election priority: Foodbank

8 April 2019 –Australia’s largest food relief organisation, Foodbank, has called on all sides of politics to ensure vulnerable families – especially those struggling to put food on their tables – are not forgotten in the lead-up to the federal election and beyond.

“This election presents an opportunity for our political leaders to acknowledge that Australia has a hunger problem, and commit to a long-term plan to do something meaningful about it,” Foodbank Australia CEO, Brianna Casey said today.

Foodbank currently provides food relief to more than 710,000 Australians each month, a quarter of whom are under the age of 19. The organisation’s latest research reveals that a startling 4 million Australians experienced food insecurity last year.

“While the circumstances that led them to their situations might be markedly different, what unites food insecure Australians is an overwhelming sense of helplessness” Ms Casey said. “This election presents an opportunity for our political leaders to deliver hope to hungry Australians by uniting on an enduring policy legacy that will benefit generations to come”.

Foodbank has warned that current duelling over tax breaks could distract from the very real problem facing so many Australians right now – uncertainty over where their next meal is coming from and the stigma and shame experienced when sending their children off to school with an empty lunchbox.

“The time has come to stop the short-term, band-aid solutions to hunger in Australia and deliver the country’s first ever National Food Security Strategy,” Ms Casey said. “We want 2019 to be the year we turn a corner as a nation and deliver outcomes capable of ensuring all Australians can live with dignity and have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food.”

“There is not an electorate in this country that is not touched by food insecurity. It affects families, students, the elderly and people with disabilities. Almost half are employed and, most heartbreaking of all, 22% are children. In fact, children are more likely to be food insecure than adults in Australia today,” she explained.

“There is currently no cohesive federal policy platform or meaningful long-term funding underpinning the goal of individual food security in Australia,” Ms Casey went on to say. “In the absence of government action, we have started the process and call on an election commitment to develop a long-term policy that will ensure zero hunger by 2030.”

Foodbank’s case for a National Food Security Strategy can be found here and its policy and funding priorities ahead of the federal election can be found here.

Foodbank also supports ACOSS and its call to raise Newstart Raise the Rate.