Foodbank Victoria has launched a ‘Warm Up Winter’ campaign aiming to raise $100,000 for the 500,000 Victorians struggling to meet the cost of living.

Foodbank Victoria, the state’s oldest and largest food relief agency, estimates that 1,725,000 meals will be required to feed Victorians doing it tough this winter.

“Sadly our business is booming as need for food relief has increased by 27 per cent each year for the past six years,” said David McNamara, Foodbank Victoria CEO.

“In this current economic climate and with everyday bills rising, food is often an easy thing to cut out of the weekly budget, leading to Victorians skipping meals or simply not being able to buy fresh product,” Mr McNamara said.

“We have found that winter is one of the harder times for people to access regular, nutritious meals to keep them on their feet,” Mr McNamara said.

Short films to raise awareness

To help raise awareness of how urgently food is needed, Foodbank Victoria has partnered with creative media school JMC Academy to create four short films. The films, which can be viewed at Foodbank Victoria’s YouTube channel, illustrate how the donated food is distributed and turned into a nutritious meal for a Victorian living in crisis.

Bobby Galinski, Hollywood filmmaker and Producer of the upcoming Michael Hutchinson biopic ‘Two World’s Colliding’, donated his experience to the JMC Academy students to help them capture the hardship experienced by so many Victorians on a daily basis.

“Most people sitting down to eat their daily meals don’t often think about how many less fortunate people there are out there, who may never know where the next meal will come from,” Mr Galinski said.

“Seeing the films created by the students and the interviews with people who require food relief was a reminder that the need is great. It may be your next door neighbour, single mum in the school playground or pensioners who rely on food relief agencies to provide them with their food for the week,” Mr Galinski said.

The campaign, which aims to increase donations to the relief organisation, will run for the month of June. Foodbank Victoria said just $25 can feed a family of four for a week.

How to help

•  Visit www.warmupwinter.org.au
• Donate to help feed Victorians living in crisis
• Share the short films via Facebook and Twitter to raise awareness of the work of Foodbank, using the hashtag #warmupwinter

Statistics 

•  526,700 Victorians are living below the poverty line
• Approximately 90,000 of these people are children
• 11.4% of people in Melbourne live below the poverty line
• 12.9% of Victorians outside the capital live below the poverty line
• 29% of households in poverty had a wage earner as the main income
• 25% of sole parent households are in poverty
• Foodbank Victoria’s services save community organisations’ and food relief agencies approximately $32 million in food each year.
• 11,000 breakfasts provided to school children through Foodbank Victoria’s KickStart Breakfast Club Program each week
• Foodbank Victoria distributes food and material aid to over 550 community organisations across Victoria
• 85% of Foodbank Victoria agencies do not have enough food to meet current demand.

For more information, to donate and view the short films visit:

www.warmupwinter.org.au