Welcome relief: Funding supports centre’s vital food distribution

A VITAL food service in Geelong has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in extra funding to help it roll out its services to the region’s most vulnerable people.

The state government’s Community Food Relief Grants have been provided to support local community organisations supply food to Victorians in need during and after the coronavirus pandemic, with $5 million invested to support the 93 projects, which will deliver an extra two million meals and 180,000 food hampers to Victorians in need.

The Geelong Food Relief Centre first received $70,000 for a purpose-built refrigerated food transport van to guarantee delivery of fresh food throughout rural Geelong, the Surf Coast and the Colac and Otway shires.

Working in partnership with Deakin University, the centre aims to streamline delivery of emergency food relief into isolated townships, boost cost effectiveness and improve service convenience.

The centre provides support for about 48,000 people and 60 regional food agencies.

Under the Building Regional Food Relief Networks program, a further $368,750 has been invested to expand and improve existing services while $300,000 has been put towards the fit-out of the new Geelong Emergency Food Distribution Hub.

The Building Regional Food Relief Networks is a $3.5 million partnership with Foodbank Victoria to increase capacity of food distribution to those in need in regional areas by sourcing food from regional producers and providing the appropriate storage and distribution.

The Geelong Food Relief Centre is one of five regional food distribution hubs. The others are Albury-Wodonga Foodshare, Warrnambool and District Foodshare, Bendigo Foodshare and Mildura Foodshare

Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers Luke Donnellan and Geelong MP Christine Couzens visited the Geelong Food Relief Centre last week to celebrate the funding announcement.

“We are ensuring that Victorians not matter where they live, get the food relief they need, when they need it,” Mr Donnellan said.

Ms Couzens said the increased funding and regional food distribution hub would make a difference for Geelong families in providing the essentials they need.

Labor says it has invested more than $25 million since the start of the coronavirus pandemic to support people when and where they need food, not including the $3.6 million going to Foodbank Victoria every year that provides 140,000 Victorians with food every month.