Appeal aims to fight hunger across Geelong

DEMAND for food relief is continuing to increase across the Geelong region, and the Give Where You Live Foundation is urging the community to help out.

The foundation is again running its Feed Geelong Appeal, which will run this year from October 16 – observed internationally as World Food Day – until October 22.

Give Where You Live Foundation chief executive officer Bill Mithen said the Feed Geelong Appeal raised vital funds to support those experiencing food insecurity across the region.

“The increasing cost-of-living is affecting families in many ways, and more and more across our community we’re seeing demand for food relief continue
to increase.”

“By supporting the Give Where You Live Foundation’s Feed Geelong Appeal you can help make sure nobody in our community goes hungry.”

More than $200,000 of the foundation’s latest grant funding was directed towards supporting food security across the region, in part as a result of public donations received in the 2022 Feed Geelong Appeal.

The foundation has seen a 48 per cent increase in demand across its partners since 2020, but is presently only able to meet 80 per cent of requests for emergency assistance.

Food insecurity is impacting a diverse range of households, with more than half of food insecure households (54 per cent) having someone in paid work, according to the 2022 Foodbank Hunger Report.

The community can get involved and support the Feed Geelong Appeal by:

• Signing up to the Lunch Money Challenge – Workplaces, schools, sports clubs and friendship groups are encouraged to sign up to the Lunch Money Challenge and donate what they would normally spend on lunch to the Feed Geelong Appeal. Get started by emailing [email protected]
• Make a donation to the Feed Geelong Appeal at feedgeelong.com.au, and
• Auction at the former Ford factory: Raising vital funds for the Give Where You Live Foundation, join the Give Where You Live Foundation at the auction at the former Ford factory in Norlane on October 20. The value-for-money, entertaining and fundraising event has an auction item for everyone and promises to be a great night. Tickets are $500 for a table of 10 or $600 for a table of six.

The 2023 Feed Geelong Appeal is supported by appeal partners Times News Group, Goop Digital, The Gordon, GSC Finance, Rex Gorell Ford, Australian Tyre Traders, Associated Cold Tread Tyres, bay 93.9 and K rock.