Refugee Network’s fresh food is feeding families

BALLARAT Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support Network is collecting donations of fresh fruit and vegetables at the Ballarat Welcome Centre to give to families in need.

The drop-off depot is open on Mondays and Tuesdays from 11am to 12pm at the back of the old Ballarat East Library building on Barkly Street.

Ballarat Regional Multicultural Council’s executive officer, Ann Foley said the initiative started as a COVID response, supplementing the non-perishables in the City of Ballarat’s community pantry.

“We’re supplying fresh food to the multicultural community, especially people living on the edge with financial hardship,” she said.

“Quite a few members lost jobs and have large families with high food costs. These costs were even higher during tighter restrictions when people were staying home and schools were closed.

“Through our members and Refugee Network, we’ve identified 30 households who are being supported that we’re in touch with through our programs and services, and we put out an invitation for community donations.”

Running for almost seven weeks, fresh food has come in from the public, sourced from home and community gardens, and from local suppliers and retailers.

“It’s not a hugely bountiful time for veggie gardens, but we’re getting donations from people’s winter harvests, like pumpkins and silver beet,” Ms Foley said.

“We’ve been delivering a good, big, family-sized box to about seven or eight households each Monday and Tuesday over the last three or four weeks.”

With State government emergency relief money, and further funds for a more sustainable project, the initiative is set to flourish into something more long term.

“We’re starting conversations, looking to develop this into a vegetable growing project called Thrive, giving people the opportunity to produce food in community gardens, and we’ve had offers from partners about doing that.

“We’ll continue the depot here because we’re confident it’s giving fresh fruit and vegetables to households who otherwise wouldn’t have them,” Ms Foley said.

“It’s been very popular, there’s been a real enthusiasm, and some of the fruits and vegetables we’re delivering are new to families, so there’s sharing of knowledge as they learn the nutrition of particular ingredients and how to cook them.”