How your Business can help fight hunger this Christmas: Support Foodbank Victoria
As the festive season approaches, many of us look forward to celebrations and gatherings. However, for countless Victorians, this time of year is marked by struggle and uncertainty. This Christmas, more Victorians than ever are relying on organisations like Foodbank Victoria.
Foodbank is the largest hunger relief charity in Australia. They are the pantry to the charity sector, linking surplus food and groceries to people in need.
In this week's blog, I explore the reasons behind this growing struggle and how your organisation can help.
Some sobering statistics
More than half a million Victorian families are skipping meals or going days without food. Foodbank Victoria now serves 69,000 meals daily—one every 1.5 seconds. As Christmas approaches, demand is expected to rise by 10%, reflecting the growing strain of the festive season.
Skyrocketing food prices, with fresh produce up nearly 9%, have made essentials like fruit, vegetables and meat unaffordable for many. This year, 20% more Victorians are expected to seek food assistance, including families who are new to this hardship.
Foodbank Victoria is experiencing its busiest year ever. To help support families and individuals this Christmas, they’ve introduced Twilight Markets alongside their regular mobile market programs and delivery services to schools and charity partners.
How you can help
In an innovative effort to bolster support this Christmas, Foodbank Victoria has introduced the Virtual Christmas Table initiative. This campaign invites you to set up a virtual table, encouraging your friends and colleagues to donate $10 to "gift a seat" at this symbolic table. Each seat directly contributes to purchasing food, helping Foodbank Victoria provide meals to those in need throughout the state.
Many organisations are also running food drives, and the wonderful news is that all of their volunteer spots are booked out for December and January 2025.
Why host a Virtual Christmas table?
Digital Fundraising Challenge: This campaign offers a unique opportunity to unite your network of friends, family and colleagues to support Foodbank's mission during the holiday season.
Direct Impact: Every $10 seat supports the purchase and distribution of food to those who need it most, ensuring no one goes without during the holidays. The more seats you create, the closer they get to reaching their goal of 69,000 seats to help them feed the 69,000 Victorians a day who are relying on Foodbank for their food this Christmas.
Community Spirit: Hosting a Virtual Christmas Table allows you to foster community support and kindness, extending the spirit of giving beyond your immediate circle.
Setting up your Virtual Christmas Table is simple. Visit Foodbank Victoria's Virtual Christmas Table to begin. Whether you host as an individual or as part of a team, you can set a fundraising target, track your progress, and share your initiative across social media to gain support and reach your goals.
This holiday season, why don't you and your colleagues pull up a seat at their virtual table and support those facing food insecurity. Let’s ensure no one feels alone or forgotten during this time of celebration.
If you need help identifying the right charity partner(s) for 2025 to align with your company’s business objectives - book a call.