What a cracking result – YOU helped create 5.4 million seats at our Christmas table.

It was always going to take a Hercules sized response from our community to support the epic scale of need leading into Christmas (try 69,000 people a day), but we didn’t expect such bedazzling feats of generosity.

Like ABC Melbourne host Sammy J who kayaked the mighty Yarra River as part of ABC Gives to Foodbank to help put 700,000 meals on awfully empty Christmas tables.

Cecilia and her son at a Foodbank market

Speaking of heart, 295 of you set up Virtual Christmas tables online for Foodbank including a couple hosted by our big-hearted friends Zoe Foster Blake and Melissa Leong.

All up we raised over 5.4 million seats in our ’24 Christmas Appeal…and by seats, we mean beautiful, healthy meals delivered with YOUR help.

Victorians truly are the most generous people on earth (nah, we’re not biased).

Cecilia and her son (pictured above) were so overwhelmed by the kindness, community spirit and help from our volunteer Edi (who loaded bags and boxes into their boot without raising a sweat) at our Christmas Market they couldn’t stop handing out hugs – including an extra special one just for YOU.

“Thank you so much. You’ve been wonderful… I can’t tell you what this food means,” Cecilia told us.

Every $1 donated creates 2 meals

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A supermarket where everything’s special

Kids grow quickly, and so does the School Breakfast Clubs Program

It’s been a whirlwind of excitement for the School Breakfast Clubs Program over the past few months, and we’re thrilled to share the news – more schools, more students, and more healthy food!

The program is making waves across Victoria, with 49% of new schools in metropolitan areas and 51% in regional areas – a nice even mix that’s slowly working towards covering all corners of the state.

But it’s not just about the numbers, it’s about the real impact happening in school hallways and classrooms. In the most recent quarter, the program served up a whopping 903,314 net kilograms of food, marking an 8.6% increase on the previous quarter. That’s a whole lot of breakfasts fuelling students for a busy day ahead! And it doesn’t stop there.

The Home Food Packs program has seen a massive 57% increase in food distributed to school families over the last quarter, meeting an ever-growing need for food support in communities across Victoria beyond the classroom. These packs are making a tangible difference, providing families with the essentials they need and ensuring more people have access to healthy food.

Three students having toast at a School Breakfast Clubs program

AND THE REAL CHERRY ON TOP? THE INCREASE IN FRESH FOOD! IN TERM 4 2024, THE PROGRAM SAW A 14% JUMP IN FRESH FOOD DISTRIBUTION ON TERM 4 IN 2023 – TALK ABOUT SERVING UP HEALTHY MEALS THAT MAKE A LASTING IMPACT.

 

As the School Breakfast Clubs Program continues to grow, we’re not just seeing more food being served; we’re seeing a ripple effect that’s reaching deeper into schools and communities.

With every new school that joins, and every extra kilo of food distributed, we’re one step closer to ensuring every student—no matter where they are—has access to the healthy fuel they need for an awesome day of learning and growing.

Here’s to even bigger things ahead!

Every $1 donated creates 2 meals

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A supermarket where everything’s special

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How we’re turning food waste into meals

We’ll be turning 5 million kilos of ‘waste’ into nourishing food over the next 3 years!

Fact is Australia produces MORE than enough food to feed everyone. In Victoria alone, 125,000 tonnes of edible fruit and veg is lost on farms every year.

Why? When crops do exceptionally well, growers end up with a surplus they can’t sell – and can’t afford to transport to charities like ours.

Of course, WE want that surplus here at Foodbank…so our unique approach to sourcing is making sure that’s happening.

Working alongside farmers, growers and packing houses to understand how their season is shaping up, we provide innovative and sustainable ways to secure any surplus – supplying collection bins, and finding empty space on trucks to move the produce.

Growers can then donate the product in a really positive way. Tangibly helping Victorians, without the cost of getting the food to us. Wins all round

Farmer working with Foodbank to reduce food waste (1)

What we’ll do with YOUR help

 

Every $1 donated is 2 meals created

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A supermarket where everything’s special

Imagine not being able to feed your family. Such a stressful, lonely place to be.

Then you hear about a cool new supermarket in your neighbourhood… where you can fill a trolley to help nourish the people you love AND it’s completely free of charge.

Ta da. We’ve just opened a supermarket EXACTLY like that at our Morwell and Ballarat Community Food Centres providing 100s OF LOCAL FAMILIES PER WEEK with trolleys full of fresh produce, dairy and all their pantry essentials.

Putting the ‘super’ back into supermarket for hard hit regional communities – with YOUR support.

Foodbank community supermarket

In Ballarat, our supermarket opened in March last year with a pilot program run in partnership with our friends at Federation Uni for students experiencing severe hardship. It has since supported over 1,000 young people living in and around Ballarat.

Now, the supermarket is open to local families who are referred through our local charity partners, so they can do their weekly shop minus the unimaginable stress of wondering how to feed their kids on a non-existent food budget.

Over in Morwell, we opened our supermarket at the beginning of December last year, launching a 16 week pilot program in collaboration with two of our local charity partners. The program gave 50 families a week living in Morwell and surrounding areas easy access to healthy food leading up to that painful Christmas period and is now continuing right through into Autumn.

It’s been a huge success so far, with each family getting their hands on 25kg of food per visit – enough to fill a whole trolley!

What are the supermarkets like?

 

Well, shoppers get to select their food from baskets brimming with fresh seasonal fruit and veggies, bays stacked with fresh bread, fridges stocked with yoghurt and milk, and aisles full of pantry staples like pasta, rice, cereal, and cans of tuna and legumes. It’s exactly the same as shopping at your local supermarket, but without the cost!

We’re so grateful to YOU for helping provide 100s of regional families with the most caring supermarkets on the planet

Every $1 donated is 2 meals created

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Charles La Trobe Breakfast Club The Heart of Community  

At the Charles La Trobe College Breakfast Club, a warm and welcoming atmosphere transforms the mornings of 126 primary school students into something special. With a dedicated team of volunteers and a commitment to nourishing young minds, the club epitomises the power of community connections.  

Breakfast Club runs every school day, drawing in 12-15 eager students who gather around a communal table to start their day with a nutritious meal and a smile. Community volunteers serve as the backbone of the Charles La Trobe Breakfast Club ensuring that every child starts the day with a healthy breakfast. An incredible 90% of the program’s volunteer pool is made up of local community members, who are passionate about contributing to the wellbeing of the children. Lorem dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Cras malesuada nisi eu elit congue, quis a liquet neque ornare. Nulla facilisi. Orci varius natoque penatibus et here magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Proin in mauris est. Nunc nec lacinia odio, sit amet rhoncus urna. Donec iaculis dolor elementum purus dignissim, ac commodo lacus bibendum.

Impact on school community 

Since the Breakfast Club’s inception, the program has evolved into an essential part of the school’s offering, enhancing student engagement and creating a positive atmosphere. Volunteers work closely with school staff, fostering relationships that benefit the entire community. 

Volunteer coordinator, Brooke noted, “The children are so excited to come to school and are so friendly and kind to one another.”  

The Breakfast Club serves a variety of food options, with the small milk cartons a favourite, while fresh fruit is available throughout the day. Students are encouraged to eat at a communal table, encouraging a sense of community and belonging. They also learn responsibility by cleaning up after themselves—scraping their plates into the bin and placing their dishes in the sink—a small but significant step towards independence that parents likely appreciate as well!  

The Breakfast Club is more than food. Volunteers come together to create an environment where children feel safe and valued. Children from Prep to Grade six come together, sharing not only breakfast but also stories, jokes and songs.  

They take turns making announcements, filling the air with their favourite jokes and music, and even created a whimsical song about the Breakfast Club inspired by their rehearsals for the Wizard of Oz school musical: “Somewhere over Breakfast Club, skies are blue, and the toastie that you dare to dream of, really does come true.” 

Going Above and Beyond

Currently, six enthusiastic volunteers dedicate their time each week, bringing their unique backgrounds and experiences to the club. From a retired teacher who also assists with the reading program to community members recruited through friendship networks, each volunteer contributes to a shared mission: ensuring that no child needs to worry about a healthy breakfast.  

Volunteer Barbara goes the extra mile to ensure the Breakfast Club runs smoothly. If supplies run low, she steps in to provide what’s needed to ensure the children don’t go without. Barbara is a retired organisational psychologist, and she brings these skills into her interaction with the children. So, they don’t just get breakfast they get some valuable leadership learning through day-to-day interaction. 

CLT Pic 4

CLT Pic 1

Impact on Volunteer community 

Being part of the Charles La Trobe Breakfast Club has profoundly impacted the volunteers. They share moments of joy, surprise, and connection with the students, reminding them of the simple joys of childhood. 

“The best part of interacting with the students is they surprise us every day and connect us to what it feels like to be young again,” said Brooke. “That’s what I love about the volunteers – each of them has deep personal and professional experience that they bring to the role. We have a retired teacher, accountant, nurse, university lecturer and senior executive all giving up their time to volunteer because they care about the next generation and want the school and families to be strong, healthy and happy.” 

Brooke “decided to volunteer because well-nourished children do better in school. It’s heartwarming to see how much joy and excitement the Breakfast Club brings.” Adding, “Our kids went to local schools, and we know the value of lifelong friendships and the bonds that are built at school and by getting involved.” 

The Breakfast Club at Charles La Trobe Primary School is more than just a meal program; it is a vibrant hub of community engagement. By leveraging the strengths of local volunteers, the program not only feeds hungry bellies but also fosters a sense of belonging and support, paving the way for a healthier, more confident and connected student cohort.  

Testimonial

“Having the Breakfast Club at our primary school makes a real difference to our students. It not only provides them with a healthy meal to start the day but also gives them a sense of community and support. We’re incredibly grateful to Foodbank for their generous donations”.

Mike Palfrey | Wellbeing Coordinator

Cooking Classes Creating Cross Generational and Community Connections 

St Alban’s North Primary School jumped at the chance to bring the Cooking Class program, to their students. In addition to the regular benefits this program brings, fostering community involvement, and promoting healthy eating habits, the school had another motive. They wanted to strengthen family bonds within their community.   

We know that food brings people together. And by inviting students, siblings and their parents to the cooking classes, the school together with the School Breakfast Clubs Program Cooking Classes offered an opportunity for students and their families to engage in a shared activity and foster stronger connections. 

And that it did! The classes successfully drew in families who were previously not engaged in school activities. Students were able to work together with their siblings and parents in both a productive and enjoyable setting.  

“We wanted to provide a positive experience for (the families) where they could work together to create something and then share it at the end. The cooking Classes were perfect and the way Foodbank provides the food hampers to take home gives an opportunity for them to repeat the process of working together in the home environment, hopefully building some teamwork, respect and tolerance.” said assistant principal Rob Guppy.  

Alex and family 1

fried rice

Creating Connections

The families that took part in Cooking Classes appreciated the chance to spend quality time with their children while learning about healthy cooking. One parent noted, “The Cooking Classes program was a fantastic opportunity for us to bond as a family and learn new recipes. My children were thrilled to see me at school and work together on something so fun and educational.”   

The Cooking Classes experience and learning extends beyond the classroom, giving students practical experiences that enhance their teamwork and problem-solving skills, not just at school, but in the home. The food hampers provided mean that families can continue building on their in school positive experiences and connections, at home. 

One parent, who attended with her prep student, also brought her year seven son along – on his birthday no less. She loved that it was a fun and educational activity they could do as a family, noting that group activities catering to varying age groups can be difficult. (As is bonding with a teenager!) 

Iyor w dad

Nguyens

Testimonials

From the school’s perspective, the Cooking Classes have been a tremendous success. They saw quite a few of the participants try sushi and rice paper rolls for the first time. Assistant Principal Rob Guppy said “the cooking classes are a fantastic initiative that helps bring families together and educates them on healthy cooking. Our school saw benefits with parents and students working together, as well as families mixing with each other which was great to see.” 

Free, fresh food – that’s what’s making these students smile!

Picture this. You’ve just gotten home to cook yourself a filling meal for dinner… only you’re living off a Uni student’s budget. What kind of ingredients spring to mind?

If 2-minute noodles and baked beans are what popped into your head, you’d be spot on. That’s the reality international students are facing across Australia, according to a recent study from Allianz Partners, as part of their State of Student Healthcare Report.

International students contribute a whopping $34 billion into our economy each year, and in return? The current cost of living crisis has meant that more than a third of international students in Australia can’t afford fresh fruit and veggies in their weekly shop.

Luckily, not all those students have to go hungry thanks to Allianz Partners, who have partnered with Foodbank Australia to help supply the fresh food and pantry staples students so urgently need.

Our first international student food market took place this July, with more markets to follow across Uni campuses throughout Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, offering students attending the markets the opportunity to “shop” for free fruit, veggies and pantry essentials.

Thanks to our friends at Allianz Partners, these markets have helped us fill the fridges and pantries of so many international students who would otherwise be going without, right across the country – meaning no more pot noodle dinners in these student’s futures, as far as the eye can see!

Monash University student at a Foodbank Farms to Families market

Monash University student at a Foodbank Farms to Families market

Every $1 donated is 2 meals created

The new centres of our universe.

Km’s away from Melbourne, two new Foodbank ‘satellites’ are sending out fresh, healthy, seasonal food…

You probably heard the cheers all through regional Victoria, as we officially opened our Community Food Centres in both Ballarat and Morwell.

Serving as a hub, or should we say ‘hug’, for local regional communities built in partnership with Vic Government.

With your support, these centres mean that fresh, chilled and frozen food no longer needs to be trucked in from Foodbank’s Yarraville warehouse, so local charities can directly access the healthy, nutritious food they need. Exciting times ahead…

Two male students leaving the Foodbank Community Food Centre with bags full of food

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Dippity doo da – what a recipe!

We show our love and gratitude through food, so here’s a tasty little treat from us to you with thanks…

Longer days, birds chirping, flowers blooming, and green everywhere we look. Inspiring, right?

Enjoy this fresh Spring recipe from our Cooking Class team that is green, light and kindergarten level easy!

Spring Pea Dip

Serves – 4
Prep Time – 15 mins

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cups frozen peas
  • 2 avocados
  • lemon, juiced
  • 200g feta
  • 1 cup mint
  • 1/3 cup dill

 

Method

1. Cover the frozen peas with boiling water and allow them to warm up. Then strain.

2. In a food processor, add the peas, avocado, mint, dill, feta and lemon juice. Pulse until smooth.

3. Serve with carrot sticks or on crusty bread with a sprinkle of sumac, and black pepper. Or however takes your fancy!

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Yes, fast food can be healthy.

​​​​​This may come as a surprise, but here at Foodbank Vic there’s a kind of ‘fast food’ we’re happy to embrace…

Did you know that Foodbank Victoria dates all the way back to the 1930s? Boy, have we come a long way since then! Did we ever deliver food in Flintstone cars? No, we’re not quite that old… but we have made some big improvements along the way.

Until recently, our fresh fruit and veggie deliveries rolled up to our warehouse doors in bins. Our volunteers would sort produce out of those bins into smaller boxes for distribution. Now, we have a brand-new packing line that makes this process not x1, not x2, but X9 TIMES FASTER.

A massive thank you to the Phil Taylor Foundation for donating this machine and helping us get more food out to where it needs to be!

Foodbank Victoria volunteer sorting pears

Every $1 donated is 2 meals created

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