Bendigo Foodshare clients brought to tears by Feed Appeal grant

Bendigo Foodshare will double its deliveries to the region’s most in need thanks to a $50,000 Feed Appeal grant.

The Feed Appeal’s $50,000 donation to Bendigo Foodshare for a refrigerated van has allowed the not-for-profit to double its deliveries and reach new vulnerable families. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Bendigo Foodshare’s clients have been brought to tears by a heartfelt donation that will stop their families from going hungry.

The not-for-profit organisation has received a $50,000 Feed Appeal grant to buy a refrigerated van so it can double its deliveries and reach new vulnerable families.

Manager Bridget Bentley said it would mean volunteers could get frozen meals, meats, dairy such as cheese, yoghurt, milk and eggs to remote households.

“Towns that could only receive one delivery a month previously, can now receive food orders fortnightly, effectively doubling the fresh food they can distribute,” Ms Bentley said.

Kyneton Caring Community manager Kerryn Wildenburg said she had clients in tears when they saw the variety of food now available.

“Some of them had previously been trying to make their food stretch for a month, but now they are getting weekly deliveries and they can’t believe how good the food is,” Ms Wildenburg said.

Kyneton Caring Community Operations Manager Kerryn Wildenburg and Food Appeal chief executive Katherine Gokavi-Whaley at the Kyneton Caring Community. Picture: Rob Leeson.

“Kids are now taking things like cheese and yoghurt to school when they previously couldn’t do that.

“It’s been very overwhelming at times to see the response from people.”

Ms Wildenburg said the food was not only about filling stomachs.

“Wellbeing is up, definitely,” she said.

“The pressure of stress of not having food for your family is immense and to know that you can feed your family a range of healthy foods that’s not just pasta or rice … it’s essential.”

Ms Wildenburg said the new van would help more people.

“This new van will help us to get more food in and more food out to help 16,700 people who are doing it tough,” she said.

Jessica Elsley ,Annie Constable and Sam Kane with food.Bendigo foodshare has been supporting central Victorian regions.They have received a Major Rural Projects Grant for $50,000 for Refrigerated vehicle.Picture:Rob Leeson.

Pyramid Hill Father Novelito Lim the new van was a “God send” allowing food deliveries to reach the remote town for the first time in November. 

The St Patrick’s Church leader said the monthly visits allowed him to distribute the food to more than 50 families throughout the farming district.

“All of a sudden we had families approaching us from outside Pyramid Hill and from as far away as Boort, Kerang and Quambatook. There is a real need to help people,” Fr Lim said.

Fr Lim said many in the Filipino community had benefited from the new food deliveries after losing their jobs during Covid.

“We have elderly people who are living on their own say to us that it is nice to receive the food and meals and to know that they are being thought about and are not forgotten,” he said.

The Feed Appeal, co-founded by food charity FareShare and News Corp Australia, raises funds to provide grants to community food relief charities to buy vans, freezers, fridges and equipment to help feed more people in need.

The funds also support FareShare, which runs Australia’s largest charity kitchens, to cook free, nutritious homestyle meals to stock the fridges and freezers of local charities that have been supported by Feed Appeal grants in the past.

To donate, visit feedappeal.org.au or roundup your grocery bill at your local Woolworths store.