A YEAR OF STRUGGLE BECOMES A YEAR OF INCREDIBLE GIVING.

WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF GENEROUS INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANISATIONS, WE COULD NOT HAVE FED THE THOUSANDS VICTORIANS WHO NEEDED OUR HELP EVERY DAY THIS YEAR.

The release of the 2022 Foodbank Hunger report revealed the true scale of the cost of living crisis, with 23% of Victorian households more severely impacted by food insecurity than last year. Even those with jobs and a roof over their heads were unable to put regular meals on the table as the cost of living crisis intensified.

We met Perri and her husband from outersuburban Melbourne through one of our longtime charity partners. Perri’s story highlighted the relative ease with which everyday people can move from having the capacity to keep on top of their bills and afford a full trolley’s worth of groceries to needing help from a charity to survive day to day.

After sharing Perri’s story with our supporters, there was an overwhelming response and we saw the number of monthly Foodbank donors grow significantly. This increase in regular giving helped us plan our food purchasing so we can continue to provide regular, reliable meals to people like Perri – and more opportunities for them to thrive.

Every Foodbank fundraising appeal and every story of hardship covered by news outlets across the state generated a similar response. The ongoing generosity of giving allowed us to provide thousands of Victorian families with healthy, nutritious food when they needed it most throughout the year.

I FELT AS IF I’D WALKED INTO A MINI SUPERMARKET, THERE WAS SO MUCH CHOICE. I COULDN’T BELIEVE HOW MUCH FRESH FOOD THERE WAS. I ARRIVED THERE WITH AN EMPTY STOMACH, FEELING ASHAMED AND HUMILIATED. BUT I LEFT FEELING AS IF MY DIGNITY HAD BEEN RESTORED. AND THAT NIGHT MY HUSBAND AND I ATE BETTER THAN WE HAD IN MONTHS.

More than that, it showed vulnerable people like Perri that they are part of a community that cares deeply and will always support them during times of hardship.