For over 30 years the Give Where You Live Foundation has played a critical role in decreasing food insecurity in the Geelong region. The COVID-19 pandemic, unfortunately, has exacerbated this issue in our community. Feed Geelong is working with over 60 organisations that provide food assistance across the Geelong region to ensure those already vulnerable and those newly vulnerable have access to food in these challenging times.
The Coronavirus pandemic has created the perfect storm as it relates the emergency food assistance system, creating multiple issues including: 1) decreased food supply - surplus food is no longer available from grocery stores and individuals, even buying food is difficult 2) lack of volunteers - many are in the high risk category age wise and as a result have stood down 3) new delivery modes - many programs rely on face to face models and have had to change their delivery or close
Feed Geelong is working with over 60 organisations across the Geelong region to solve these and other issues created by the Coronavirus pandemic. This has included sourcing food, volunteers, working with organisations around new delivery models, keeping organisations connected and working together around new issues as the arise and tracking and communicating to the public, especially those in need about who, how, when and where food assistance available in our region.
Food is a basic human right. No one should be going without food, even in these difficult times. The Coronavirus pandemic has exposed a number of challenges for the emergency food assistance system in the Geelong region. Feed Geelong, however, has been able to work with organisations to problem solve these challenges, strengthening food supply, volunteers and helping to create flexible and adaptable delivery models. All of which is getting more food to more people in our community.
