Helping hand for local food relief

Community organisations across the state were recently offered grants of up to $100,000 to strengthen local food relief, as many households continue to struggle with rising costs.

The third round of the Victorian Government’s $8.5 million Community Food Security Program was open to neighbourhood houses, multicultural and faith-based organisations, as well as volunteer-led groups.

Funding was also available for food parcels, groceries, community meals, fuel vouchers, volunteer support and other initiatives designed to improve access to emergency assistance.

Phillip Island Community and Learning Centre (PICAL) was one local organisation that applied.

PICAL manager David Rooks said the centre hoped to use government funding to develop a more coordinated approach to food relief across Phillip Island.

PICAL is the island’s main provider of emergency food assistance, but several other organisations also support residents with their own initiatives.

Mr Rooks said the proposed project would map the services already available and examine how local providers could work together better.

“We want to try to work out how we can all work together with other partners, work out what they’re doing too, and provide the best service we can,” he said.

PICAL would use the funding to engage someone to research the current food relief system across the island.

The work would identify both gaps and opportunities for organisations to better coordinate their support for the community.

“This time we’re going for a strategic approach,” Mr Rooks said.

“Where are the overlaps? What are the gaps? And how can we make it a better system for everyone?

The grant program comes as demand for emergency food relief continues to trend upwards.

Mr Rooks said PICAL had recorded steady growth in the number of people seeking assistance during his three years with the organisation.

“It tends to just continue to increase a little bit each year,” he said.

While people from a range of age groups and circumstances accessed the service, Mr Rooks said older residents were the most frequent users.

The Victorian Government has also announced a $5 million investment towards an expansion of food rescue organisation SecondBite’s Derrimut warehouse.

The government said the upgrade would allow SecondBite to triple its food relief volume and double its support to regional Victoria and Melbourne’s north.

It’s estimated that the expansion would deliver the equivalent of about 100 million additional meals over the next decade.

The funding allows an allocation of $11.2 million in the 2026-27 Victorian Budget for grassroots and large-scale food relief providers, including $2.7 million in immediate assistance for charities facing higher fuel costs.

Minister for Carers and Volunteers Luba Grigorovitch said the investments would help ensure more surplus food makes it to those who are experiencing hardships.

“We’re securing Victoria’s long-term food security so more surplus food can be rescued and delivered to Victorians doing it tough.”