MORE SPACE MEANS MORE MEALS FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST
An extra 200,000 meals will be available for Victorians in times of crisis with the Brumby Labor Government today opening the state's largest emergency relief refrigeration facility.
Visiting VicRelief Foodbank at Yarraville, Emergency Services Minister Bob Cameron said the facility would allow VicRelief Foodbank to help more Victorians when they needed it most th in times of crisis and hardship.
(Media-Newswire.com) - An extra 200,000 meals will be available for Victorians in times of crisis with the Brumby Labor Government today opening the state’s largest emergency relief refrigeration facility. Visiting VicRelief Foodbank at Yarraville, Emergency Services Minister Bob Cameron said the facility would allow VicRelief Foodbank to help more Victorians when they needed it most – in times of crisis and hardship.
“The Brumby Labor Government is standing up for vulnerable Victorians, and is proud to support VicRelief Foodbank and the vital work it does in the community,” Mr Cameron said.
“The cool storage facility will not only increase storage capacity for disaster relief, but will help meet the basic needs of people who, for whatever reason, cannot afford to put food on the table for their families.
“Organisations such as VicRelief Foodbank have worked tirelessly through some of the biggest challenges this state has seen ¬- the drought, the global financial crisis and the Black Saturday bushfires - to help those in need.”
Mr Cameron said VicRelief Foodbank was one of the key agencies in the state’s emergency management plans and last year distributed more than three million kilograms of food and emergency aid.
“In an emergency situation, VicRelief Foodbank is called on to distribute basic provisions such as food, bedding and blankets to people who have nowhere else to turn, either because they have been displaced or have lost everything,” he said.
Mr Cameron said VicRelief Foodbank had played an invaluable role in relief efforts after the February 2009 bushfires.
“VicRelief Foodbank was vital in distributing more than 500,000 kilograms of food and emergency goods in the six months after the fires,” he said.
Mr Cameron said the new facility could store 100 pallets of frozen and 100 pallets of refrigerated food.
“VicRelief Foodbank is Victoria’s largest independent emergency relief resource centre, with a distribution network of more than 450 welfare agencies and community organisations,” he said.
The new facility was funded through private partnerships between VicRelief Foodbank and the Ian Potter Foundation, The Danks Trust and Swire Cold Food Storage. Many others donated time and material to get the project completed.
This year the Government is providing $1.98 million to VicRelief to help deliver their vital work, as well as a further $425,000 to support project officer roles in non-metropolitan regions.
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