FOODBANK NSW & ACT WELCOMES THE NSW GOVERNMENT’S ANNOUNCEMENT OF $2 MILLION FOR COVID-19 EMERGENCY FOOD RELIEF

Friday 27 March, 2020 – The NSW Government announced today a commitment of $2 million to help Foodbank NSW & ACT (FBNA) build capacity and scale for emergency food and grocery relief efforts.

This is in addition to the $8 million allocated in the 2019-20 budget that is provided over 4 years to allow FBNA to expand the School Breakfast 4 Health program to an additional 500 schools.

As the largest and most trusted food relief charity in the state, FBNA already provides food relief to 1,012 charity and school partners, assisting 373,173 Aussies a month, during normal times. These are no longer normal times and the demand for food assistance is rising at a rate never before seen.

The NSW Government’s emergency food relief funding will help FBNA scale up immediately to respond to the unprecedented increase in the number of Australians looking for help.

FBNA CEO, Gerry Andersen, says: “Foodbank is here for the long haul to help vulnerable Aussies access food and groceries, no matter what the crisis. COVID-19, and the resulting mass unemployment across the country, is placing a huge strain on the Foodbank network.

“We are grateful for the NSW Government’s help now more than ever. Together, we’ll make sure no Australians get left behind.”

FBNA COO, John Robertson, says: “We know people are already doing it tough and our charity partners are under pressure. As you saw during the bushfire crisis, FBNA is well-placed to assist vulnerable people in our state. In partnership with the NSW Government – we’re not going to falter and we’ll leave no one behind, as we’ve been doing for the past 27 years.”

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Media Enquiries

Janene Manwaring
Foodbank NSW & ACT
M +61 474 741 413
E Janene@foodbanknsw.org.au