Shepparton News

Link for hungry

SHEPPARTON’S FOOD LINK GETS MEALS TO THOSE IN NEED

- By Georgia Rossiter

One in six Australian­s haven’t had enough to eat in the past year, and 38 per cent had not experience­d food security before the COVID-19 pandemic, a Foodbank report has found.

The Foodbank Hunger Report 2021, released on October 19, found that one in three Australian­s who were experienci­ng food insecurity were doing so as a result of factors related to COVID-19.

Food Link founder Amy De Paola has seen the effects in Shepparton first-hand and said sudden unemployme­nt or general job insecurity were major factors for people in the area.

“That job insecurity, it all f lows on,” she said.

Beginning last year as way to offer relief to local restaurant­s and cafe´s dealing with the effects of COVID-19 and feed those in need at the same time, Food Link has become an important organisati­on for Shepparton’s most vulnerable.

Ms De Paola said for many people it was the worry about where their next meal was going to come from that had the biggest impact.

“It really sort of weighs down on your mental health when you’re constantly worried about if you will have enough food,” she said.

According to Foodbank’s 2021 report, one in three families that are regularly reliant on government assistance are food insecure.

In Shepparton, Ms De Paola said many of the families she delivered to were headed by single mums.

“Single-parent families tend to be a vast majority of where our meals are going,” she said.

Food Link now drops off weekly donations to local organisati­ons and four schools, including 30 meals a week to Mooroopna Primary School.

“These guys know where the food needs to go, what needs to happen with it, and they can just do their job without having to worry about funding and sourcing,” Ms De Paola said.

Acting principal Carla May said food insecurity at the school was not new.

“Mooroopna Primary School has always had an element of support not just from a food point of view but also from a uniform point of view,” she said.

The school runs a daily breakfast program and up to 60 kids attend to have a meal before starting the day. Primary welfare officer Daniel Gommers said the school also tried to provide as much food as possible for the kids in need.

“If they want food, we give it to them because we know how much that is a foundation­al need,” he said. “Nothing else is going to happen if they’re hungry.”

● To donate to Food Link, go to www.greatershe­pparton.foundation

 ?? ?? Feeding hungry mouths: Mooroopna Primary School acting principal Carla May with primary welfare officer Daniel Gommers, as Food Link founder Amy De Paola drops off 30 meals for families.
Feeding hungry mouths: Mooroopna Primary School acting principal Carla May with primary welfare officer Daniel Gommers, as Food Link founder Amy De Paola drops off 30 meals for families.

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