The food charity sector has emerged in Australia since the 1990s and has grown rapidly over the past decade.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, Foodbank realized it could not always rely on food donors to secure essential items, like pasta sauce.
Council of Victoria Muslim Women volunteers prepare relief food in Coburg, a suburb of Melbourne.
`Going to meet the people who work in the factory and touching their hearts to hear stories about families who don’t have sauce to use has a powerful impact,` said Brianna Casey, Foodbank executive director.
The pasta sauce is a remarkable start to a collaborative effort to ensure staples such as pasta, sausages, rice and milk are available to Australians in need, especially during the Covid pandemic
`We are the only organization in the global food bank network that has a program specifically tailored to strengthening our supply chain,` Ms. Casey said.
Foodbank currently has a network of partnerships with 1,800 large, small and multinational companies across Australia, to ensure supply for their charitable food systems.
In the context of a sharp increase in demand for food support in three states blocked by Covid-19, Mars company late last month announced the donation of 175,000 bottles of assorted sauces.
`Foodbank has never played a more important role than it does now,` said Casey.
During certain times before the pandemic, about 20% of Australians had difficulty meeting their food needs.
`In 2019, 15% of Australians needed food assistance at least once a week. In 2020, this number increased to 31%,` the report said.
Not just food, about 10% of the items Foodbank provides to people are other essential items, such as toothpaste, laundry detergent and even pet supplies.
Foodbank typically distributes relief supplies through a network of 2,600 charity partners, from big names like the Red Cross to local domestic violence shelters.
`We can’t distribute food if these organizations close, so we have to change the model,` Casey said.
In some cases, Foodbank has switched to home delivery services.
During the fourth and fifth blockades in Victoria, Foodbank also opened its warehouse to directly provide relief food for people to drive in and pick up without asking any questions.
Foodbank’s CEO said the fear and embarrassment of having to use charity items also disappeared during the pandemic.
`People understand that if you suddenly lose a month or two of salary, you will fall into a situation where you won’t be able to feed your family,` she shared.
Thanh Tam (According to Sydney Morning Herald)
