Blog

15Dec

Bendigo Foodshare introduces a mobile food pantry to meet holiday demand

This week, Bendigo Foodshare has started a mobile food pantry to meet increased demand for emergency food relief over the summer holiday period.

Bendigo Foodshare Chair, Cathie Steele said the Central Victorian food relief agency was keen to help families struggling to put food on the table over Christmas and the New Year by giving out free groceries at five sites across the city.

“Food poverty is a significant issue in the greater Bendigo region with more than 25,000 residents living below or close to the poverty line,” said Ms. Steele.

“As many as one in nine local families have difficulty putting hearty nutritious meals on the table each week.

07Nov

Movie fundraiser at Star Cinemas

Join us for a movie fundraising at Star Cinema on Thursday, 21 November 2019.

Doors open at 6pm for a light supper followed by a short presentation from Loddon Campaspe Multicultural Services.

The movie starts at 7pm. This year’s film is Brittney Runs a Marathon. Watch the trailer.

Tickets cost $25pp and can be purchased from Star Cinema in advance or at the door. Call (03) 5446 2025 to book a couch.

01Nov

Bendigo Foodshare launches food drive to feed hungry locals

Bendigo Foodshare has kicked-off a month-long effort to fight hunger in Central Victoria with a community food drive for non-perishable food items during November.

Recent statistics show that more than 25,000 people in the Bendigo region are living close to or below the poverty line, putting them at serious risk of food insecurity and hunger.

Bendigo Foodshare Chair, Cathie Steele, said the organisation helped feed 12,400 people each week with donated, surplus and rescued food.

“We’re seeing food distress affecting an increasing number of people who aren’t unable to afford healthy food despite working or as a result of temporary financial stress or unforeseen emergency,” said Ms Steele.

05Oct

Volunteer Information & Registration Night

We’ve increased our service to seven-days to help feed more than 12,400 Central Victorians struggling to put food on the table each week.

We need 20+ new volunteers to help us rescue surplus grocery items from food businesses in Bendigo on weekends.

Come along to our Volunteer Information & Registration Night to learn more about volunteering at Bendigo Foodshare. Meet our team and try some of our everyday jobs to see if our roles are the right fit for you.

Tuesday, 8 November 2019
5:30pm – 6:30pm
2/43 Havilah Road,

01Oct

More fresh food for better health outcomes

Thanks to the fabulous work being done by our Grow, Cook, Share Coordinator and Food Ambassador, Bridget Bently, and Operations Manager, Annie Constable, we are collecting more fresh produce and better quality surplus groceries than ever before.

As we all know, it’s important to eat a wide range of foods with sufficient high-quality proteins, carbohydrates, heart-healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and water to maintain a healthy body and lifestyle.

The diminishing ability of low-income families to pay for healthy food is consigning the least well-off in our community to a greater risk of diet-related illness, such as obesity and diabetes,

24Sep

Emergency Food Relief in Heathcote

To create a more sustainable model, local community groups have come together to develop a long-term plan to increase the Heathcote community’s access to fresh, nutritious food.

While Heathcote Foodshare may have closed its doors, residents can still access emergency food relief, vouchers or cooked meals, as they always have, from local groups including St Vincent De Paul and the Uniting Church.

Families with young children are encouraged to reach out to their local school, with Heathcote Primary School and Holy Rosary Primary School helping address the needs of pupils and their immediate family.

Heathcote Community House is home to a community garden,

Fosterville Gold Mine Sponsors Bendigo Foodshare

19Sep

Golden grant to update safety at the shed

Thank kind-hearted folks at Kirkland Lake Gold’s Fosterville Gold Mine have made our volunteers at the shed very happy this winter with a $4,950 community grant to update date our safety equipment, including new safety boots, bollards and tyne spreaders for the forklift.

The mine has also come on board as the major sponsor of this quarterly newsletter, allowing us to continue to bring you the latest Bendigo Foodshare news and events each season.

Click here to learn more about Fosterville Gold Mine’s community other initiatives.

The current round of Fosterville Gold Mine community grants closes on September 23.

Bendigo Foodshare volunteers loading a van with food

05Sep

Demand for food relief leads to a seven-day service

We’re pleased to hear Heathcote Foodshare has secured a truck much sooner than anticipated.

The past few days have shown us the need for food relief is growing and there’s enough demand to implement a seven-day surplus food collection and re-distribution service.

So, we have decided to move forward with plans to expand our operations to make sure the most vulnerable people in Central Victoria have access to safe, reliable, good-quality food when they need it most.

02Sep

Bendigo Foodshare increases services to ensure food relief continues to reach Heathcote, Axedale and Rochester

Starting this week, Bendigo Foodshare will increase its food collection and distribution services to ensure food relief continues to reach the communities of Heathcote, Axedale and Rochester after a vehicle owned by Heathcote Foodshare was involved in a traffic collision on Friday.

Bendigo Foodshare Vice Chair, Michael Armstrong said the Bendigo-based food relief agency was keen to help its peers in Heathcote during what was sure to be a difficult time for the community group.

“We were sad to hear our counterparts at Heathcote were involved in a road accident and now need to replace their delivery truck”,

Bendigo Foodshare raises 76,500 in 2019 appeal

24Jul

Bendigo Food share smashes fundraising target to fight food poverty

Bendigo Foodshare’s annual fundraising appeal Bendigo Bank Million Meals in May officially came to a close in May but thanks to overwhelming support from our community, donations continued to flow in throughout June and early July bringing the official fundraising tally to more than $76,500.

The ambitious campaign included the launch of the inaugural Soupfest, which saw cafés, restaurants, schools and community groups host soup-themed fundraisers, while approximately 150 businesses across greater Bendigo and Castlemaine collected donations towards the appeal.

Bendigo Foodshare’s Chair Cathie Steele said the appeal had resonated strongly with local people,