Mobile Christmas Food Pantry to feed those doing it tough this festive season

Bendigo Foodshare is once again gearing up to run its Mobile Christmas Food Pantry this festive season to provide free food relief to people doing it tough.

The Mobile Christmas Food Pantry will operate for six sessions over the Christmas and New Year period in various locations across Bendigo to make sure families and people struggling with financial pressures will not be hungry this Christmas.

Bendigo Foodshare CEO Michelle Murphy said Christmas was traditionally a difficult time for low income families, but this year the charity was seeing a larger need, with many people coming forward for help for the first time in their lives.

“We recognise this Christmas will be a difficult time for many people, not only from the rising cost of living but also the impacts of the floods, so we’re running our annual Mobile Christmas Pantry again this year to provide extra food support in Bendigo,” Ms Murphy said.

“For the past couple of years we’ve been coordinating our Mobile Christmas Food Pantry with our Bendigo food relief partners, as the holidays can be a particularly hard time to access food support, with less food relief organisations open.

“Throughout the year we supply food to around 40 schools, kinders and childcare centres, of which most close for the summer break, which impacts hundreds of families’ access to food relief over this period. As well, many of our local food relief partners and their mostly volunteer teams take a well deserved break too.”

The sessions are made possible with the support of local service clubs and community organisations who host the pantry and distribute the food.

Ms Murphy added “Our Christmas Food Pantry is free, open to anyone – no questions asked, and you don’t need an appointment. Our volunteer teams are waiting to offer support to anyone who needs it.”

People needing help with food are encouraged to come along with their own shopping bags or boxes to the designated location between 1pm and 3pm.

Session details (1pm-3pm):

  • Tuesday 27 Dec 2022 – Eaglehawk Community House
  • Wednesday 28 Dec 2022 – Good Start Early Learning Centre – Kangaroo Flat
  • Thursday 29 Dec 2022 – St Vincent de Paul – Kangaroo Flat
  • Tuesday 3 Jan 2023 – Eaglehawk Community House
  • Wednesday 4 Jan 2023 – Good Start Early Learning Centre – Kangaroo Flat
  • Thursday 5 Jan 2023 – St Vincent de Paul – Kangaroo Flat

The Bendigo Foodshare Mobile Christmas Food Pantry runs with the support of Eaglehawk Community House, Goodstart Early Learning Centre – Kangaroo Flat, St Vincent de Paul, Bendigo Rotary, Bendigo South Rotary, Bendigo Sandhurst Rotary and the Y Service Club of Bendigo.

For more information please contact Kaye Lehmann at Bendigo Foodshare on 0418 355 253 or purchasing@bendigofoodshare.org.au

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