Food charity calls for help this month

BENDIGO Foodshare launched its annual July food drive last week with the hopes of delivering a record amount of food to those in need.

Getting underway at the Bendigo Marketplace, the food drive sees collection points located at local Coles, Woolworths, IGA, and Aldi supermarkets with yellow wheelie bins on site for people to leave donations.

Foodshare CEO Michelle Murphy said she hopes shoppers will donate to the charity considering the current financial hardships many are facing.

“This year we have seen skyrocketing food costs, increased fuel prices, rising interest rates causing house and rental prices to go through the roof, bill shock, and more, with no relief in sight,” she said.

“Many coming forward for help have never had to reach out before in their lives, families with two adults working full time.

“One in three people struggling to meet their food needs are new to the situation.”

Ms Murphy said she knows the community is eager to help and the charity is hoping to break the mark set by its flood drive last year.

“We know lots of people in Central Victoria would like to help,” she said. “Our drive is a really simple and effective way to do just that.

“Our November flood relief food drive yielded nearly 6000 kilograms of donated food and we would love to see this record broken and relieve the stress many families in our community are experiencing.”

Bendigo Marketplace manager Tracey McMaster said the centre was proud to support Foodshare.

“Bendigo Marketplace with Colliers and ISPT actually sponsor this every year, and have for quite some time,” she said.

“We like Foodshare because it goes out across the region and it’s not going anywhere else, it’s going out in our community.

“People love donating to Foodshare in the centre and at Woolies because it’s going to go to the people in their area in need, and people can get behind that.”