Foodbank to develop food distribution hub in Ballarat

The Ballarat Foundation and hunger relief organisation Foodbank Victoria are partnering to develop a new food distribution hub to help locals have better access to fresh food.

Run by Foodbank for the next decade, the Ballarat food distribution hub aims to aggregate and supply fresh food to relief programs in the area in order to address food insecurity.

While Foodbank Victoria distributed 1.7 million kg of food to major regional areas in the 2016–17 financial year, very little of it reached the Ballarat and Grampians regions (less than 100,000 kg.)

But this was not due to lack of demand for food relief, as Ballarat has been highlighted as an area that is particularly struggling with hunger.

Monash University and Ballarat Community Health surveyed 100 Ballarat community members to find out about their experience of food insecurity and emergency food relief programs. They found that 78% of the respondents experience food insecurity with hunger and 39% have gone without food for one or more days in the previous week.

So despite Foodbank working to alleviate these numbers, 12% of Ballarat residents still experience food insecurity.

Foodbank Victoria Chief Executive Officer Dave McNamara said the hub would provide a critical missing link in Victoria’s regional food relief efforts.

“People have been going hungry in this region for too long due to challenges and limitations around the transportation, storage, handling and distribution of large quantities of food,” he said.

“We’re extremely grateful that The Ballarat Foundation is passionate about addressing food insecurity and providing the infrastructure required to meet the growing needs of its community.”

The Ballarat Foundation has developed the Feed Ballarat appeal in an attempt to provide residents with access to food and is seeking $3.5 million funding towards three main priorities: the establishment of a food distribution hub; operational costs of the food service charities; and preventive and education programs around food, nutrition and sustainability.

It is hoped the hub will begin operations by 2019. For anyone wishing to donate, visit www.feedballarat.org.au.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/sciencephoto