By CASEY NEILL
DANDENONG’S Avocare was the starting point for the inaugural 1100 kilometre-plus Hunger Ride.
Foodbank Victoria (FBV) CEO Dave McNamara and fitness industry veteran Cameron Falloon set off on the cycling event from the food relief distributor on Tuesday 12 April.
The gruelling nine-day ride will finish at FBV’s Yarraville headquarters on 20 April and visit key towns within its network along the way.
It’s designed to raise awareness, food donations and funds for the 108,700 Victorians who don’t know where their next meal is coming from.
“This is an incredible opportunity to raise awareness around the issue of hunger in our own back yard, connect directly with the communities that we impact, as well as engage with the incredible partners who help Foodbank Victoria to fight hunger,” Mr McNamara said.
Avocare director Trish Keilty said 200 agencies regularly visited the charity’s warehouse.
“The fact that we’ve gone into a bigger warehouse shows that the demand is increasing,” she said.
“The donations are growing, but there’s never enough.
“There’s always demand for fresh fruit and vegetables and fridge and freezer items, and packaged goods.”
Avocare is the Foodbank agent for “anyone this side of the Yarra” but also looks after smaller, local charities.
“We have a kitchen at Menzies Avenue and we cook with the community,” Ms Keilty said.
“Over 100 people come on a Wednesday night. They get a soup and a main meal and they get a bag of groceries for $1. We see increased numbers all the time.”
She said local organisations including Chobani and Castricum Brothers made regular donations and the City of Greater Dandenong offered support.
“We get a lot of culturally diverse food – food that I don’t even know what it is!” she said.
“We’re so culturally diverse in this area that our food has to be diverse.
“If we get bulk in we use our Work for the Dole participants to reduce the quantity down.
“We have 35 tonnes of salt at the moment.
“We have to re-bag them into kilo bags – an agency won’t pick up a tonne.”
Some manufacturers donate end of run or damaged food items.
“It’s keeping food out of landfill,” Ms Keilty said.
“We’ll go and pick it up. We don’t expect them to deliver it to us.
“We can give them a tax relief invoice.”
She encouraged farmers to donate excess stock or “ugly” food.
“We don’t care. We’ll take the ugly food,” she said.
Visit www.foodbankvictoria.org.au for more information or to donate.
Watch Foodbank Victoria CEO Dave McNamara leave Avocare on the Hunger Ride.
