Victoria school breakfast club program: Foodbank reveals 50% spike in demand

Demand for Victoria’s school breakfast program has spiked dramatically, revealing a worrying issue many families are facing.

There’s been a surge in demand for school breakfast meals as cost-of-living hits struggling families. Picture: iStock

A LEADING food charity is spending 50 times its pre-pandemic budget as cost of living issues bite Victorian families.

It comes as the state government has provided 6000 meals through its school breakfast program over the holidays.

Foodbank chief executive Dave McNamara on Sunday revealed demand for meals from struggling Victorians was the highest he had seen it in 15 years working with the charity.

This worst of this has been over the last 12 months.

Demand for school meal packs was up by 50 per cent since the pandemic while the rest of charity distributing 27 per cent more compared to the last financial year.

“The family budget that you and everyone else in here is going through on food we’re feeling the same,” Mr McNamara said.

“So pre pandemic we spent around $100,000 a year on food, last year was $5m on food.

“This year is already tracking towards another $5m.”

Mr McNamara said the charity was feeding about 100,000 people every two days.

“We think the demand is higher,” he said.

Demand for school meals has been up 50 per cent, according to Foodbank.

“It is hard to understand what demand is because we have only such amounts, a finite amount of food.

“We have to put limits on some food because everyone wants it.

“Some of our charities have seen an increase of 40 per cent in people in the last six months turning up.

“In the southeast there’s one charity I know that has gone from about 700 people turning up every week to 1700 people every week.”

Victorians can support Foodbank and other charity groups by donating food and also through financial support to help them provide a well-rounded selection of ingredients.

“I’d ask anyone that’s got excess capacity in food and manufacturing, to give us a call,” Mr McNamara said.

“If you’re out there purchasing food yourself, make sure that you don’t waste food, purchase what you need.”

Education Minister Natalie Hutchins said the government would continue to fund meals being provided to schools through the charity.

Further support was likely to be considered as part of budget preparations.

“I’m sure in our current budget considerations for the next budget, Foodbank will be front and centre and how we resource them,” she said.

“But I can say now our breakfast programs will continue to roll out to the 1000 schools that were prioritised.”

A warehouse in Brooklyn is dedicated solely to resourcing the school meals program, which was first set up in 2016 and has received $71m in government funding.

Over the holiday period, these supplies have also continued to be provided to households who need them.

Originally published as Victoria school breakfast club program: Foodbank reveals 50% spike in demand