Korong Vale food relief centre ‘lifesaving’ for locals doing it tough
A food relief centre operating out of a pub is being hailed as “the best thing that’s happened” to a Victorian town of 143 people as cost-of-living pressures bite.
Scully’s Korong Vale Hotel in northwestern Victoria is much more than a place locals can get a pot and parma. Since May, the pub has doubled as a food relief centre.
Every second Wednesday, volunteers distribute food provided by non-profit organisation Bendigo Foodshare to people who need it.
The food handout begins at 12pm. Forty minutes later, it’s mostly gone.
Louise Bewley kickstarted the operation after learning of the increasing demand for food relief in Korong Vale, a town of 143 people, and surrounds amid cost-of-living pressures. The need for the service they offer has only grown in the months to follow.
“People are saying it’s been lifesaving, the best thing that’s happened in Korong Vale for a long time,” she said.
“They’ve been able to use the money they’ve saved on groceries to pay for wood to heat their homes or for electricity bills. Or, they’ve had to buy poorer quality food for their children, but now they don’t.”
The Korong Vale relief centre is one of Bendigo Foodshare’s 80 grassroots operations in central Victoria.
“They’re operating out of converted halls, shipping containers, churches – you name it,” chief executive Michelle Murphy said. “They’re the real heroes who are on the front line, supporting people in need.”
Ms Bewley’s volunteers hail from Korong Vale or nearby Wedderburn, and include two NDIS participants and longtime locals who had stepped “out of their comfort zone” to help. The people they support are coming from as far away as Charlton, “a good 40km away”.
Ms Murphy said the group had given out “more than 3000kg of food that would otherwise have gone to waste” since launching.
In total, Bendigo Foodshare’s 256 volunteers are feeding about 13,000 people every week.
Last year, the charity redistributed 750,000kg of food that had been donated by supermarkets, food manufacturers and other relief organisations.
More than 126,000kg of that was supplied by Bendigo Foodshare’s longtime partner Woolworths’ five Bendigo stores – the equivalent to more than 250,000 meals.
Woolworths also donates food to OzHarvest, Foodbank and wildlife rescue organisation WIRES to help feed people and animals in need.
Ms Murphy said many regional Victorians were “doing it tough” due to the ongoing impacts of last year’s floods and the Covid pandemic, compounded with the cost-of-living crisis.
“Many of the people we provide food relief to are employed. For some families, even both partners working is not enough,” she said.
“Demand for our services has grown astronomically, but the support has also grown. Regional people look after their own.”
Support Bendigo Foodshare by visiting bendigofoodshare.org.au/donate
Originally published as Korong Vale food relief centre ‘lifesaving’ for locals doing it tough
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