VicForests donate $2000 to Food Relief
A $2000 grant for Warragul-based charity Baw Baw Combined Churches Food Relief will go towards helping more than 700 families in Baw Baw Shire access emergency food supplies.
The grant was provided by VicForests as part of its Community Support Program, and will go towards the operational costs of the volunteer-run organisation, which relies on donations and contributions to continue providing its vital services to those in need.
The grant will support the Baw Baw Combined Churches Food Relief opshop, which provides affordable clothing and furniture, while also raising funds for the Food Relief program.
Food Relief manager Anne Pascoe said the grant was a great help to the organisation.
“To be able to provide the food we do, we rely on external funding to help keep our clients’ money contributions as low as possible,” she said.
“Grants such as those from VicForests are incredibly helpful in helping us provide our vital services.”
The programs that the Baw Baw Combined Churches Food Relief provide are accessed by pensioners and those on Centrelink or Health Care cards, as well as those struck by unforeseen circumstances like sudden unemployment and natural disasters, such as bushfires.
VicForests regional engagement manager Liz Langford said assisting local organisations, such as the Baw Baw Combined Churches, was an important part of supporting the communities that VicForests operate in and around.
“Our staff, contractors and customers are members of many regional communities throughout Victoria,” she said.
“VicForests is proud to be able to help support the Baw Baw Shire community, which has such a strong connection to the native timber industry.
“This is just one example of how we invest in regional communities across Victoria each year, with a total of $350,000 in Community Support Program grants going to a diverse group of community organisations across the state in the past seven years.
“In addition to financial assistance, we also provide timber and bark donations, as well as ongoing partnerships with local groups and services.
Community kitchen the Diner served the last of its weekly meals at its Christmas lunch Tuesday last.
Judith and Alan Pugh were the driving force behind the commencement of the Diner on June 23, 1992.
It has been part of the missional outreach of the Warragul Uniting Church since that time, being more than a generation of service to the community in assisting to alleviate the needs of the disadvantaged members of the local community.
Many of the people who have attended found a home of friendship and a place where they felt comfortable and valued.
Over time members of other churches became involved, and people from the Anglican, Catholic churches and the Salvation Army celebrated being part of the Diner.
Many of these people have been involved in the Diner for decades but are unable to continue their involvement, which means the Diner in its present form is unable to continue in 2018.
Next year, the Diner may take on a different form, with an announcement expected during 2018.