WAS THE YEAR LEARNED HOW IMPORTANT

Never in our history have we faced so many threats to our ability to provide food.

Charity partners and schools were locked down for extended periods and then grounded by critical volunteer shortages. Fragile supply chains slowed or simply stopped moving. Rising costs pushed thousands of families into food relief for the first time in their lives. The level of demand was distressing.

We drew on our strength, our ideas, and the power of community. Finding ways with your help to support Victorians through every crisis that came our way. Delivering over half a million kilos of food directly into the heart of our communities when they couldn’t get to us.

Being able to respond quickly and drive distribution up by almost 21% meant we could meet the growth in demand. We spent almost $5 million on food – a record amount. Putting 45% more kilos of fresh food than last year onto the tables of people in need across the state. The kind of healthy food we want every Victorian to eat and enjoy!

Despite the challenges, our School Breakfast Clubs program reached a major milestone.

Twenty million meals delivered by over 1,000 state schools across Victoria since the program began six years ago. Cooking Classes migrated online during lockdowns, giving families and teachers a way to stay connected and supported through food.

We created a world first, turning two eighteen-metre airport buses generously donated by Kinetic into mobile supermarkets. Taking our buses out to charity partners across metropolitan Melbourne weekly stocked with culturally appropriate food – fruit and vegetables, chilled products, and pantry essentials.

We expanded Farms to Families markets to serve many more regional Victorians, and our pop-up supermarket assisting international students remained open until Christmas. We made sure no-one was forgotten.

Our volunteers were extraordinary this year, giving more than 19,700 hours of their time to help get millions of kilos of food out with care and efficiency. Looking after not just those we were feeding, but also each other.

Everything we’ve achieved would not have been possible without our amazing and talented staff. We committed to providing them with the best possible training and learning opportunities, emotional and psychological support, and people-friendly ICT systems. If we’re going to continue to be successful in making sure our communities are thriving, then Foodbank must thrive…and this year, more than any other, has proved that we do!

Dave McNamara CEO, Foodbank Victoria

WHERE WE SAW GAPS, WE USED OUR SCALE AND SIZE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. LISTENING TO THE VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITIES AND BUILDING SOLUTIONS IN COLLABORATION WITH THEM.

DAVE MCNAMARA CEO FOODBANK VICTORIA

Food Our Impact

HERE’S WHAT GOES INTO HELPING PUT FOOD ON TABLES EACH YEAR!

PEOPLE

VOLUNTEERS: 1,257

VOLUNTEER HOURS: 19,794

STAFF: 97

+ +

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

CHARITIES: 476

SCHOOLS: 1000+

SUPPORTERS

GENEROUS INDIVIDUALS

FOOD DONORS

TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONS

FINANCIAL SUPPORTERS AND PARTNERS

VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT

IMPACT =

FOOD OUT: 12.1 MILLION KGS (OF FOOD AND GROCERIES) 22 MILLION MEALS