Annual Grants Program

The funding will be used by Lazarus Community Centre to support the running costs of their homelessness assistance facility, which is experiencing increased demand. Supports available at the centre include meals, clothing/laundry, hygiene services and an opportunity to reconnect with the community with a sense of dignity, purpose and belonging.

$18,000

The funding will support Christ Church Community Meals Program with supplies, providing warm and cold drinks of their guest’s choice, offering comfort, dignity, and inclusion – making every guest feel valued and respected.

$8,000

The funding will support two part-time Emergency Relief Co-ordinators, providing supports for community members in need, at Uniting’s Norlane and Grovedale sites.

$15,000

The funding will support the Foodbank Coordinator role at Whittington Neighbourhood House, enabling ongoing improvements to the foodbank’s operations. The impact will be more efficient food-distribution, improved food sourcing and program coordination leading to an increased capacity to serve those in need.

$16,000

The funding will be used to purchase fresh food from wholesale markets to supplement the rescued food waste used by Feed Me Inc. Feed Me enables over 6,000 meals per week to be cooked and served to over 4,000 households per week through delivery to local people in need or through the Feed Me markets.

$10,000

The funding will be used by Cultura for ‘Let Him Cook’ – a cooking program for men from refugee backgrounds to develop practical cooking and food safety skills. Nutritious meals will be prepared by the participants for distribution to Cultura clients facing food insecurity and community members in need.

$15,000

The funding will provide partial support for the Coordinator and Bookkeeper of the Foodbank Program at Drysdale Family Support. This role provides enables the efficient and effective administration, promotion, volunteer recruitment and coordination of the Foodbank Program in the Drysdale Community.

$10,000

The funding will enable Neami National – Towards Home+ Geelong data and analytics, to support the collective effort of a ‘By- name List’ in the Geelong Zero Project. The By-name List is a person-centred approach – meeting people sleeping rough locally, learning who they are and what they need in order to tailor support and services.

$15,000

The funding will support the Hesse Rural Health Food Systems Officer to develop and implement a Food Security expansion, of the successful Winchelsea Foodbank model, to Bannockburn, Meredith and Rokewood. The project provides nutritious, culturally appropriate food to communities experiencing food insecurity.

$15,000

The funding will support the Mini Movers ‘From the Ground Up’ partnership project in Colac, with Leisure Networks, Wyld Work Projects and Salvation Army Colac. The project will deliver active participation opportunities: hands-on experiences in a local community garden and healthy eating education, fostering physical and health literacy in an inclusive environment.

$10,000

The funding will expand and enhance existing food systems initiatives in Apollo Bay, through increasing staff and volunteer capacity, purchasing infrastructure and equipment and increasing direct food support for the Apollo Bay community at Marrar Woorn Neighbourhood House.

$10,000

The funding will continue to support The Outpost’s operational services, ensuring the lights remain bright, hungry people feel nourished, and providing a place of safety and community.

$18,000

The funding will support the ongoing operations of Samaritan House Geelong – to keep the lights on and doors open to guests. Samaritan House Geelong accommodates up to 20 men navigating life crisis, 365 days a year.

$10,000

The funding will enable Financial Counselling Victoria to take on the ‘Money Talks’ frontline workers resource. Building community sector capability to assist people navigating financial stress in the G21 region.

$7,000

The funding will support Farm My School’s strategic leadership and operational management. The grant will enable ongoing community engagement, expand programs and ensuring the organisation remains financially sustainable to create local healthy food systems.

$8,000

The funding will be used by The Power in You Project to provide more staff availability to assist individuals who require 1:1 tailored, individualised supports, with a specific focus on people experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless.

$10,000

The funding will support students at MacKillop School in Whittington to offer free nutritious and healthy soup to people in their local community via the ‘Bittersweet Food Truck’ – fostering a sense of empathy and social responsibility amongst students and help to address increasing rates of food insecurity exacerbated by cost-of-living challenges in the Whittington community.

$12,000

The funding will support 3216 Connect’s food assistance program for vulnerable members of the community, fostering a stronger, more resilient community by offering a social safety net, allowing recipients to focus on long-term stability and recovery.

$3,000