Food relief charity across Geelong have reported a surge in people seeking help during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Give Where you Live Foundation, which runs the Feed Geelong Appeal, 71 per cent of food relief organisations that took part in a recent survey reported a surge in clients over the past 18 months.
The foundation launched its Feed Geelong Appeal last week, which aims to raise money to help award grants to Geelong food assistance network.
Food is something we don’t often think about until it isn’t there,” the foundation’s Bethany Long said.
“The clients are the homeless, people who have lost work due to COVID-19.
“You’ve got international students who couldn’t get government funding and a lot of asylum seekers needing support to get food.
“There’s others who are out of work and need help for the first time.”
Ms Long said as well as seeing more clients needing food, many food relief organisations were going through their own struggles with restrictions, lack of the volunteers and the pandemic meaning they needed to pivot their services.
Ms Long said the group was keen to continue its mission to make sure that every one in the Geelong region has access to food.
“It is one of the most basic human rights,” she said.
“People shouldn’t have to worry where their next meal is coming from, especially in a city as prosperous as Geelong.
The appeal runs to October 17.
People can donate via: feedgeelong2021.raisely.com/donate
Tara Murray
