EVERY week a group of dedicated volunteers give up their time to help fill the pantries of families in need in the Portarlington area.
\nThe Portarlington Food Assistance Program (PFAP) operates out of the Bellarine Community Health Centre site in Fenwick Street and has been providing food relief to people in the 3223 postcode for almost five years.
\nMarg Manning has been coordinator of the program since its inception and says she has mixed feelings about the increasing number of participants who need the service.
\n\u201cPart of me is so glad that we can offer a service to assist people who need this support, but it also saddens me that there seems to be a growing number of people, often a hidden part of the community, who are unable to manage financially to buy the food they need,\u201d Marg said.
\nThe service is open one afternoon a week using a food points system.
\nParticipants are allocated shopping points according to how many people are living in the household.
\nThe points are then used to access non-perishable food staples such as pasta, rice, cereal, tinned veggies or long-life milk.
\n\u201cOur participants come in and do their own shopping from the storage cupboards,\u201d Marg said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe try to maintain the dignity of choice that everyone has the right to when doing food shopping whether it\u2019s from PFAP or the supermarket.\u201d
\nThe program has assisted more than 200 families since it began, with up to three new clients being seen every week.
\nAnyone who lives in the 3223 postcode and has any kind of Centrelink Card is eligible to access emergency food relief.
\nThe growing need for this vital community service comes at a time when the program and its dedicated band of volunteers are themselves looking for assistance.
\nAfter five years volunteering at the helm, Marg is ready to take a step back, so PFAP is now recruiting for a new Volunteer Coordinator\/Administrator to take over the program.
\n\u201cThis is such a rewarding role and I am sure there is someone out there keen to be involved and help the community,\u201d Marg said.
\n\u201cIf you\u2019re great at working in a team environment, have good organisational and leadership skills and a passion for working at a community level to help people in need, then this is a wonderful opportunity.\u201d
\nA detailed role description is available, and anyone interested should contact Glen Jose on 0421 054842 or email glen.jose@bigpond.com.
\nFor further information about the Portarlington Food Assistance Program contact either Glen Jose or Leonie Ryall on 0407 969335.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
EVERY week a group of dedicated volunteers give up their time to help fill the pantries of families in need in the Portarlington area. The Portarlington Food Assistance Program (PFAP) operates out of the Bellarine Community Health Centre site in Fenwick Street and has been providing food relief to people in the 3223 postcode for […]<\/p>\n