Did you know that 71% of local young people who completed our youth poverty survey last year have experienced food insecurity in the last two years? And that despite that high number, only 12% had actually accessed food relief from a food bank or charity?
Bendigo Foodshare wants to change that – and that’s why we’ve launched a new project, YouFoods. Across 2021, we’ll work with local agencies, organisations and schools at a grassroots level to tackle youth food insecurity, and create engaging and relatable food relief initiatives to break barriers, grow awareness and skills and uphold dignity.
This is a first of a kind project at Bendigo Foodshare, following on from last year where we undertook Central Victoria’s first youth food poverty survey. The results, some of which are included in this post, will inform our project this year.Over the past couple of weeks we’ve had many conversations with agencies, organisations and schools to learn more.
We’re very keen to hear from agencies, organisations and schools who might be interested in learning more about this work, and being involved. You can email youth@bendigofoodshare.org.au.
We’re looking forward to sharing more about this project over the next 12 months, as we work together to reduce the stigma of accessing food relief and information for young people, support them in one of the most important times of their lives and create new opportunities.This project is being funded by VicHealth and City of Greater Bendigo.
Click here to check out the Youth survey.
Our YouFoods Project Officer is Sam Kane.
Sam has been a Bendigo Foodshare Youth Ambassador and volunteer for the past two years, and has now taken on this new role to lead our work in tackling local youth food insecurity. He is also working in our Communications Team.
Sam is excited to be part of a motivated and committed team making a difference in our community every day.
Sam can be contacted at youth@bendigofoodshare.org.au
