Vinnies’ Food Drive hopes to address entrenched food insecurity* still affecting close to 1 in 5 Tasmanians.

The St Vincent de Paul Society has launched a state-wide food drive to assist the nearly 1 in 5 Tasmanians suffering food poverty. The drive will see 200 food bins distributed across Tasmania, complete with shopping lists, to encourage people to donate food to people in need.

St Vincent de Paul Society CEO, Ms Heather Kent, said the food drive was necessary due to an overwhelming increase in the number of Tasmanians requesting food parcels and financial assistance to purchase groceries.

“Every month, the St Vincent de Paul Society distributes food parcels to hundreds of hungry families and the underprivileged. Vinnies food vans also serve over 20,000 meals and countless hot beverages on an annual basis. We try to keep our pantries stocked so we have enough food to feed the poor and the homeless; but demand is currently outstripping our ability to supply, hence the food drive,” Ms Kent said.

“It is particularly concerning that a University of Tasmania report, “Is high food insecurity the new normal in Tasmania?”, found that food insecurity has prevailed since the pandemic and that close to 1 in 5 (18%) Tasmanians have run out of food and cannot afford to buy more. When this happens, they have to turn to Vinnies and other charities for assistance.

“Key findings in the report suggest 11% of Tasmanian households are experiencing severe food
insecurity, meaning they are regularly going without food. Young people, households with dependents, those with disabilities, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, temporary residents, and those whose jobs have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic continue to be the most affected. Financial stress appears to be the biggest factor.

“The report also stated that In May 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, 26% of Tasmanians were food insecure. In September 2020, food insecurity had reduced to 18%. The current results are still concerningly higher than the 6% of Tasmanians who were experiencing food insecurity in 2019.

“Vinnies needs help from the community to assist people, particularly children, who are literally going to bed hungry and waking up to no food in the cupboard. We are asking people, the next time they go shopping, to purchase a few extra items from Vinnies’ Shopping List, which is available on the Vinnies Tas website and in our stores.

“All donated items will be distributed to a Vinnies’ Food Bank in local community in which it is collected. In other words, people who donate food will be helping their neighbours. A few extra items in your shopping trolley will go a long way to help alleviate hunger and assist a family or person in need,” Ms Kent added.

The Vinnies Food Drive Shopping list is available on the Vinnies Tas Facebook page. Food donations can be dropped off at any Vinnies office, shop, or Community Hub. Alternatively, for collections of large quantities of food from a businesses or school, please call (03) 6234 4244 in the South, (03) 6333 0822 in the North, and (03) 6435 2323 on the Northwest Coast to arrange a pick-up.

*Food security means access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life. For comparison, the prevalence of food insecurity amongst the general Australian population (pre COVID-19) as been estimated to be approximately 5%. The Tasmanian Population Health Survey in 2019 reported that 6.2% of Tasmanians were experiencing food insecurity due to financial stress.

MEDIA NOTES: The St Vincent de Paul Society was founded in Paris, France in 1833 by a 20-year old Italian student, Frederic Ozanam. Today, the Society operates in 153 countries and has over 800,000 members. Australia has over 60,000 members, dedicated to assisting people in need and combating social injustice. The Society started in Tasmania in 1899 when founders established a Conference in Launceston. From humble beginnings, the Society has grown to 25 Conferences within three Regional Councils across Tasmania. Each Conference undertake a variety of good works, the most recognised being the traditional Vincentian home visits and the annual CEO Sleep-out to draw attention to homelessness.

_{Media contact, Mark Wells: +61 414 015 966 (24-hours)
© St Vincent de Paul Society and MWPA.}