The Victorian Government is ensuring those who are doing it tough during the pandemic can continue putting a meal on the table, with funding to deliver food to Victorians who need it most.

Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing today announced $16,700 for Latrobe City Council to continue its important work providing food relief for people in need of help across the Latrobe Valley.

Latrobe City Council is one of 13 organisations sharing in $1.67 million from the latest funding round of the Food Relief Financial Reserve.

The Financial Reserve was established to provide extra support to community food relief providers, who are delivering more food to vulnerable Victorians in response to the challenges of the pandemic.

More than 2.5 million meals have already been delivered and 46 full-time equivalent food relief jobs supported through the $4.33 million released from the Reserve to date.

Through the Financial Reserve and other programs, the Government has invested more than $39 million to expand community food relief across Victoria since February 2020.

This includes $5 million in grants to 93 community food relief organisations for additional storage and equipment to deliver more food relief to Victorians in need across the state.

The Government also established a Food Relief Taskforce to provide system leadership and advice on strengthening and enhancing the community food relief system in Victoria. For more information, visit providers.dffh.vic.gov.au/community-food-relief.

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing

“It’s more important than ever that we support those in need, and this funding to Latrobe City Council will provide food security to those families and households who need a hand.”

“No one in our community should be going hungry, which is why it’s so important to invest in our local food relief organisations.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers Anthony Carbines

“This funding brings our total investment in food relief for Victorians to more than $39 million since the start of the pandemic.”