UFS funds relief supplies

UFS Dispensaries have made a significant donation to Uniting to assist their delivery of emergency relief groceries in Ballarat.

The not-for-profit health group’s CEO Lynne McLennan said a $5000 injection has been made to combat the current “extraordinary circumstances.”

“We exist to improve the health of our communities, and at the moment, we see a dire need for emergency support and food services in the community,” she said.

“It’s a disgrace that in a civilised society people on income support don’t have enough income to supply their basic needs of food and medicine, so that’s why we’re supporting organisations like Uniting on the front line.

“Our profit is always reinvested into the communities in which we operate.”

Uniting’s Tania Jennings said her team prides themselves, and their emergency centre, on the ability to offer clients choice in the essential areas of non-perishable food, fresh produce, and toiletries.

“The donation from UFS will help the Ballarat community dramatically, because we’ll be able to stock our shelves with more items people can collect when they’ve run out of food,” she said.

“We’re seeing a lot more people that we wouldn’t normally see; people whose part-time working hours have been cut, and two-income families that have turned into one-income families.

“We’ve seen between 500 and 600 families in that category this year alone, but because people are doing it tough, our food supply donations have dropped.”

If they can afford it, Ms Jennings encourages residents to add a few extra non-perishable items or toiletries to their basket to donate to Uniting’s emergency relief centre based at Albert Street, Ballarat central.

In partnership with Uniting, UFS is also currently campaigning to lift the JobSeeker payment rate.