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Expanding Food Relief for Families in Baw Baw Shire

Baw Baw Shire families and community members will have increased access to emergency food relief with a $48,500 in funding.

By Portal Admin - 8th December 2019 - Back to News

Families and community members in need across Baw Baw Shire will have increased access to emergency food relief, thanks to $48,500 in funding from the Andrews Labor Government’s Pick My Project initiative.

Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing today praised the work of the Baw Baw Combined Churches Food Relief Program, which will now expand its operations for members of the community in need of support.

The funding will enable the program to service the increasing number of families who rely on this valuable service, by expanding the available space to provide greater room for food storage, through the refurbishment of the adjacent factory unit and the purchase of a new commercial fridge.

In 2018 the program helped over 840 families struggling with the cost of living and that figure is expected to grow to almost 1,000 families seeking assistance throughout 2019.

The funding boost will not only increase the community’s immediate access to emergency food relief, but also ensures the program continues for the long term by providing improved amenities for the volunteers who give up their time to support those in need in their community.

Pick My Project is an Andrews Labor Government first – a $30 million participatory budgeting initiative that puts decision making in the hands of Victorians.

The Sustainable food relief for families in the Baw Baw Shire project is one of 22 successful projects from the Pick My Project initiative in the Gippsland region.

The region received more than $2.40 million in funding through the initiative, after a total of 17,537 votes were cast.

Other projects in the Gippsland region include upgrades to the Mirboo North Splash Park, the purchase of a mobile stage for the Boolarra Folk Festival and a community compost site for Fish Creek.

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing

"The Sustainable food relief for families in the Baw Baw Shire is a wonderful initiative to assist people who are facing hardship in the community, and the government is proud to support their work through the Pick My Project initiative."

"The government is proud to support the Baw Baw Combined Churches Food Relief program in growing their ability to help more families and individuals in need across West Gippsland."

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: support@gippsland.com