$2 million for Foodbank Australia

A major funding boost from the Australian Government will help provide emergency food supplies to almost two million vulnerable Australians.

Foodbank Australia will receive $2 million over two years to provide food and grocery supplies to not-for-profit organisations that support individuals and families in need across Australia.

Known as ‘the pantry of the welfare sector’, Foodbank provides food and groceries to 2,200 welfare agencies nationwide.

This funding boost will support Foodbank’s innovative methods of food production, providing a more consistent, cost-effective supply of staple foods to emergency relief organisations.

Foodbank will use this funding boost to help produce their own food and groceries, by linking corporate donations together.

Suppliers donate raw materials, ingredients, transport and packaging to produce staple foods such as cereal and pasta.

For example, Foodbank works with Australian farmers and manufacturers to produce breakfast cereal, made solely with donated goods.

Not-for-profit organisations across Australia are reporting increased demand for emergency relief with new client groups including middle income families, homeowners and small business owners seeking support for the first time.

With many more people walking in the doors of our emergency relief providers, it is essential that organisations such as Foodbank can help put food on the table for vulnerable Australians.

Last year Foodbank provided 17,250 tonnes of food and groceries to emergency relief providers. That means more than 23 million meals were provided to Australians in need from the Foodbank pantry.

This funding is part of the Australian Government’s commitment to double emergency relief in response to the global recession, with an additional $80.4 million over the next two years going to help people most in need.

Foodbank is a not-for-profit, non-denominational organisation and is the largest hunger relief organisation in Australia with distribution centres in New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria.