Australian Bushfire Relief: Food and Groceries

Dear Supporters, 

I hope you are all keeping safe whilst we all continue to navigate through the profound impacts of the COVID pandemic. 

Thank you once again for your support of Foodbank. In what has been the biggest year of challenges for Foodbank ever, your kind donations to our bushfire efforts are continuing to make a massive difference to those affected.

What made the last bushfire season particularly challenging was that it came on the back of a relentless drought that seriously affected Foodbank’s supplies. We saw less donations of core agricultural commodities, especially rice, because of the impact of drought on successive growing seasons and regions. At the same time, we saw a spike in demand for food relief from rural and remote areas devastated by the same consecutive seasons of drought, where families had endured long periods without on-farm income with local businesses throughout the community suffering as a consequence. In short – we had been hit on both a supply and demand front, and we simply did not have the stores of essential products available if the worst happened over summer.

However, with the support of the Federal government, corporate partners, national food and grocery donors and donors such as yourself, we were able to provide outstanding emergency food relief to those who were in need. The impact made possible through the level of support we received was phenomenal. 

It should be noted that we remain in the relief and recovery phase for all fires that took place throughout the 2019/20 bushfire season. There is no doubt that the impacts are still being felt. Many families and children affected by the bushfires and now COVID19 are in need of food assistance. 

It is a lengthy and complex recovery phase and we are continuing to replenish stocks that were diverted away from everyday food relief to emergency food relief. Over the past months, we have been bulk procuring key staple products to support fire-affected communities for as long as it takes them to recover. We know from experience, this can take several years. 

On behalf of the Foodbank family, we sincerely thank you for your support and the impact made possible through your generosity. We look forward to working with you further in our fight against hunger.

Together, we can ensure no Australian goes without. 

Warm Regards, 

Foodbank Australia