From our Farms to Families Markets to our School Breakfast Clubs Program, we believe everyone should have access to healthy food. With the help of MasterChef finalist, Simon Toohey, and our Schools Food Literacy program coordinator (and registered nutritionist), Emma, we’ve prepared some simple, low-cost and nutritious recipes for you and your family!
Phillip Island relies heavily on tourism and during covid-19, the community has seen a rise in people struggling to put food on the table. We caught up with one of the only food relief organisations in the region, Phillip Island Community & Learning Centre, to find out how they’re helping the growing number of people in need.
St Vincent de Paul Society (SVDP) Bairnsdale is just one of 9 Foodbank charity partners who provide emergency food relief and support to the wider East Gippsland community.
Albert, former regional president, has been involved with the organisation for close to 15 years. Albert’s current role is to oversee the food relief program. Available each weekday, those in need can access a food parcel including a range of staple items catering to the size of the family.
The organisation also gives careful consideration to a full range of requests and helps connect community members to other services they may need. During February and March, they were assisting 70-90 individuals each week.
Like many charity organisations in the Gippsland region, the recent bushfire crisis was a significant time for SVDP Bairnsdale.
From 30 December 2019, the team at SVDP Bairnsdale had set up at the evacuation centre: “And it was full-on, right from the get-go. It was hugely busy. It was chaotic in many ways, and we were all working in one space alongside a lot of the other helping agencies,” recalls Albert.
Albert says the social element of providing food relief has always been valuable but was vital during the bushfires.
“People who came in were in shock, sharing photos and telling tales of what they had lost. It was a little bit overwhelming the number of people who had suffered. Tears well up in your own eyes listening to some of these stories,” said Albert.
Due to the current health pandemic, the team has once again adapted, and to adhere to social distancing requirements they are conducting phone interviews and providing vouchers for food relief. As restrictions ease, and the situation improves, Albert envisages their services will be called upon more frequently.
Operating out of a small shopfront for the last four years, the team are looking at moving to a larger premise. With the on-going drought, the recent bushfires, and the current economic impact of coronavirus, the demand is increasing, and a more spacious location will allow the organisation to continue to respond to the growing need.
Meet Roy Beaumont, owner of Creamy Valley Produce in East Gippsland. Roy, and his wife, Alison Beaumont, have been running the Potato farm for many years and regularly donate excess produce to Foodbank.
The St Vincent de Paul Vinnies Soup Van Program has been providing Victorians with food, social connection, and referral pathways out of homelessness and poverty for many years. But during the covid pandemic, the team at Footscray were forced to readjust their offering – they’ve been delivering more than 550 food hampers to local community members each and every week.
Based in Cockatoo in Melbourne’s East, The Food Store offers a safe space for community members to interact and take home free basic food supplies, fruit and vegetables.
By working with more than 450 charity organisations across Victoria – from large organisations like Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul, through to smaller neighbourhood houses and community centres – we’re able to provide 1.5 million meals to Victorians in need, every month.
We recently paid a visit to some of the wonderful people receiving this food relief – like Fay, who was unable to find work following a cancer diagnosis; pensioner Ray, who struggles to get to the supermarket; and Barry and Fay, who simply can’t afford groceries.
Located in Upwey, just east of Melbourne, Foothills Community Care have been preparing home-cooked meals – using food from Foodbank – for vulnerable people in Upwey area.
Almost 1,300 people who were looking for a job due to the coronavirus crisis are now working for Victoria thanks to the Victorian Government.
Premier Daniel Andrews joined Minister for Jobs Martin Pakula On Wednesday 8 April to announce the first raft of positions secured through the Working for Victoria Fund – with thousands more to benefit in the coming weeks and months.
More than 60 people have taken up new roles here at Foodbank Victoria, in various roles in our warehouse. These new recruits will play a vital role in helping us to prepare care packages and charity food orders for Victorians in need of food relief.
Emma, who is one of the new recruits employed as part of the Working for Victoria Fund, has recently joined our team as Warehouse Supervisor. Previously working within the furniture wholesale industry, Emma recently lost her job as a result of the coronavirus restrictions. Eager to keep herself busy, Emma contacted us about potential volunteering opportunities. Emma’s wealth of experience in supply and inventory management was a natural fit for Foodbank. When asked how she feels about her new role at Foodbank, she replied,
“It’s great to be using this time in an important role rather than waiting for the economy to pick back up again. I’m lucky to have been given this opportunity as so many people have sadly been impacted.”
“I’ve just started in a warehouse supervisor role, looking after operations for food relief hampers for our charity partners, as well as care packages for people in mandatory self-isolation. I’ll also be working closely with volunteers who come in to assist packing and sorting donated food for distribution. I might also help with inventory and stock if it’s needed down the track.”
The Working for Victoria Fund is open to workers who have recently lost their job or casuals who no longer have shifts – including international students and temporary migrants. Relocation, accommodation and transport subsides are available to eligible participants. Businesses and workers can register at vic.gov.au/workingforvictoria.
If you are interested in permanent roles at Foodbank Victoira, please visit our Careers page to view a list of current vacancies.
Vulnerable students and migrants from Nepal living in Australia have felt the full social and economic impacts of COVID-19. With fewer resources to support themselves during the crisis, many Nepalese students experienced the anguished fear of not knowing where their next meal was coming from, until Foodbank became part of their world.
Amit Thapa, Founder of the Friends of Nepal Association, reached out to Foodbank, and along with the Non Resident Nepali Association, more than 1,000 Nepalese students in Australia were assisted with food relief, including hundreds of Foodbank hampers. Funds provided by the Federal Department of Social Services enabled Foodbank to fill the hampers with quality key staples such as instant noodles, breakfast cereal, UHT soy milk, fruit cups, tea and coffee, tinned tuna and beans, and savoury and sweet biscuits. Hampers were topped with five kilograms of rice, ensuring it would feed a person for four weeks. Packaged with love and dignity, the hampers were distributed throughout the Nepali student community across Australia, providing much-needed relief at a time when they needed it most.
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