The Victorian Government is working to ensure the food relief system meets the needs of people experiencing vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Support for flood affected communities
The Victorian Government has announced $5.5 million to help support flood affected communities through food relief and neighbourhood supports.
There is up to $3 million for food relief organisations including Foodbank Victoria, Oz Harvest, Second Bite and FareShare to help across the state.
Regional food relief hubs in flood affected and adjacent areas will also be eligible for grants up to $250,000. These organisations will work with multicultural and First Nations organisations and other local community partners such as neighbourhood houses to provide food supports.
Shepparton Foodshare is also receiving up to $1 million to help them move into a new flood relief food hub and warehouse as their current premises was inundated with floodwaters.
For more information or to register interest please email foodrelief.team@dhhs.vic.gov.au
Boost to food relief activity in Victoria
In February 2022, a further $1.67 million was provided to state-wide food relief providers and key regional charities and distribution centres to deliver more food to Victorians in need, support local hospitality businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and keep more Victorians in work. The Victorian Government has invested more than $39 million to expand community food relief across Victoria since February 2020.
Find out about the Funded projects – June 2021 boost to food relief (Word).
Community Food Relief Fund
The Community Food Relief Fund is supporting local community organisations that supply food to Victorians in need during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Community organisations are using one-off grants of up to $75,000 to:
- increase and improve their capacity to deliver and store food
- support COVIDSafe business operations and recruit volunteers to help with business operations.
The grants have awarded more than $4.33million to recipient organisations. The latest successful grant recipient organisations were announced in February 2022. Find out about the Community Food Relief Fund - Successful grant recipients (Word).
Regional Food Relief Networks Program
Five designated regional food relief hubs have been funded to increase the capacity of food relief storage and distribution services in regional Victoria. The hubs will ensure food gets to where it’s needed by strengthening the link between suppliers and those experiencing food insecurity.
Foodbank Victoria and the government have selected these organisations to provide food relief hub services:
- Albury-Wodonga Regional Foodshare
- Bendigo Foodshare
- Geelong Relief Centre
- Mildura Foodshare
- Warrnambool and District Foodshare.
The $3.5 million allocated to the regional food relief hubs builds on $10 million already being invested by the government for new Foodbank distribution centres in Ballarat and Morwell. Once complete in late 2022, the centres will enable a coordinated food relief response across Victoria.
Food relief distribution services
The Victorian Government is providing more support to the food relief distribution agencies. Should your organisation deliver a food relief program, you may be eligible to receive regular food donations.
Find out which agencies can help in Food Relief Distribution Services (Word)