Catherine Graf at the food relief centre.
By Cherie Donnellan
MIDDLE and high-income earners recently made jobless are adding to growing pressure on Geelong’s emergency food supplies, according to a service manager.
Geelong Food Relief’s Dave Manning said low-income earners were also increasingly turning to the service as they struggled to meet financial obligations.
“People we don’t really expect are coming in and need the service,” Mr Manning said.
“From what we see, there is an increasingly demand for our service and we need to be able to keep up with that demand.”
Mr Manning said emergency relief agencies referred clients to the centre, giving them vouchers for food.
ALDI supermarkets were supplying the centre with perishable goods but it was also seeking food from other organisations, he said.
“We currently buy ALDI’s fruit, vegetables and other foods that have been in the supermarket for a day or so and they also supply us with their over-ordered groceries but we’re looking to use more rescued and donated food from local organisations.”
