Fruit and vegetables in demand from Hope City Mission food bank

STRUGGLING families in Melbourne’s outer east are increasingly interested in healthy food, charities say.

Families in need increasingly want healthier options like fruit and vegetables, according Coral Styles from Hope City Mission Croydon. Picture: Steve Tanner.

STRUGGLING families in Melbourne’s outer east are increasingly interested in healthy food, charities say.

Hope City Mission food bank co-ordinator Coral Styles said she noticed frozen vegetables and fresh fruit had become popular with families who got donations.

“This attitude of healthy eating is not rocket science,” Ms Styles said.

“It just brings better results and there are so many health disorders nowadays.

“Before fruit and veggies were easier to buy because they were cheaper but they are not anymore and they are just are out of reach for some people.”

The charity provides donations for up to 150 families a week in the Yarra Ranges, Knox and Maroondah.

Families are also keen to cook their own meals rather than just taking pre-packaged handouts.

“We provide our clients with a shopping experience because we believe in dignity,” Ms Styles said.

“They don’t just receive a parcel, they get to select from what food items we have.”

Fresh meat is also in demand at Maroondah charities, but it can be difficult to fund.

Maroondah Citizen’s Advice Bureau committee of management president Rhonda Dingley said the organisation had more clients since they offered meat donations.

“Meat is so expensive but we get donations from a lot of the churches in the area and some other private places as well,” Ms Dingley said

“We have an account at a butcher in Croydon and Ringwood and we give our clients a meat voucher.”

Uniting Wesley crisis and homelessness service acting manager Maidie Graham said food donated by SecondBite was very popular for families.

“All the food we have is in demand, but we certainly have a lot of people come on the day that SecondBite visits us … families feel great they are able to make healthy choices,” she said.

“We provide that and that food would otherwise be thrown out so it’s put to very good use.”

Hope City Mission said it wouldn’t be able to do much of its work without corporate food donations.

Hope City Mission collects from Foodbank, which gets bulk donations from companies like McCain.

McCain regional president Louis Wolthers said the company’s donations were given to vulnerable Australians including low-income families, the underemployed and the elderly.

Mr Wolthers said in 2016, McCain donated 138,832kg of frozen food — the equivalent to 250,000 meals — to Foodbank.