Community groups helping vulnerable community members to access food are calling for support.
Outer East Foodshare provides donated food to agencies across the Yarra Ranges and needs volunteers and donations.
“We’re keen to work with our volunteers to find what works for them and their time,” secretary Marilyn Lambert said.
“Some people pick up the van, drive to Food Bank Victoria and drive back.
“You’d need to be able to lift boxes and have a driver’s licence for that, but if you didn’t have a licence you could be an off-sider to help with loading the van, or you could be ringing growers, talking to our local food retailers, finding out what’s feasible in terms of donations of excess food.
“We have a person who is growing silverbeet for us, because she can and it’s nutritious and healthy.
“That’s not a really big time commitment, but it all helps.”
Outer East Foodshare distributes food through partner agencies including Discovery Community Care in Lilydale, the Redwood Centre in Warburton and Healesville Interchurch Community Care (HICCI).
Yarra Ranges Council supports Outer East Foodshare through multi-year partnership grant funding.
Shereen Barker from Discovery Community Care said there wasn’t much awareness of food relief organisations in the wider community, which made it difficult to receive donations.
“The people who use our organisations know about the network and they’ll suggest places to their friends, but there isn’t a huge community awareness of what we do,” she said.
“If you have excess food, I would say there are a lot of agencies in Yarra Ranges that would appreciate a call.”
