Emma O'Connor

Foodbank Victoria

Foodbank Victoria is an independent not-for-profit organisation with almost 90 years' experience providing food relief. We are the largest provider of food relief in Victoria, including in times of disaster as part of the State Relief and Recovery Team. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation and pay our respect to their Elders, past, present and emerging. Our vision is healthy food for all Victorians, yet 1 in 5 people – including children – go hungry each year. To ensure we can reach as many people as possible, we work with food donors across the supply chain to source edible food from farmers, manufacturers and retailers. This often includes product that is out of specification, close to its best-before date, has incorrect labelling or damaged packaging, as well as excess stock and discontinued products. Without Foodbank, much of this food would simply go to landfill. Unfortunately, donations of food don't always meet demand. In an innovative approach to fighting hunger, we work with some of Australia's leading food manufacturers to secure a sustainable supply of essential items for our Key Staples Program. We also run programs in Victoria to target particular vulnerable groups, such as our School Breakfast Clubs, Farms to Families pop-up markets, and Essential Pantry Program. In 2017/18, we were able to distribute 8.4 million kilograms of staple, fresh and frozen foods, personal hygiene items and household products. This volume is the equivalent of putting 15 million meals on tables for people in need. We continue to work with more than 450 charity partners around the state to feed more than 116,000 people a month — nearly one-third of whom are children. If your organisation can support our work, please get in touch.