AS VICTORIANS LOCKED DOWN AGAIN, WE RAMPED UP SUPPORT – AS WE’VE ALWAYS DONE.

It’s very much part of the fabric of Foodbank that when a crisis hits, we roll up our sleeves and do the work. COVID-19 Lockdown 6, which saw Victorians restricted to their homes from August 5 through to October 19, was a tipping point for so many people. As they struggled to survive in every sense, we came to their aid with another Drive Thru free hamper service on August 20, 2021 at our Yarraville warehouse.

Based on the inaugural Foodbank Drive Thru held back in June 2021, we knew that opening our doors to the public was the best way to help reduce stress and shame for people seeking food. They could drive through and pick up hampers of fresh fruit and veggies, along with pantry staples - contactless and no questions asked. Families came through who were living in their cars. Knowing we were their only human contact, helped our hard-working teams understand the magnitude of the crisis in our state. We also included pet food when we realised that people were feeding their pets before feeding themselves. Our team created a positive and welcoming vibe with music and friendly faces helping load the food into car boots.

With cars queued for three kilometres down to the Westgate freeway, our service was forced to close early by Victorian police to ensure public safety. But, not before we delivered 70,608 kilos of food for people doing it tough during what would become known as the toughest lockdown of them all.

As the state’s emergency food relief organisation, we continued our partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services and Australian Red Cross to deliver emergency relief hampers to Victorians in isolation with no access to food. Through the 2021/22 financial year we delivered a staggering 1,466,086 kilos of food to families impacted by COVID-19 across the state including Shepparton and the Goulburn Valley where restrictions forced the closure of local food retailers.