A little bit extra

What is food insecurity?

Having no regular access to enough healthy, nutritious and appropriate food that meets their dietary needs for a healthy lifestyle is what we call food insecurity.

For children, particularly, food insecurity can have negative short- and long-term effects academically, socially, emotionally, physically and developmentally.

When we think of food insecurity we often think of developing countries; not of advanced economies like Australia. However, we know that food insecurity exists in our country.

Our volunteers see it every day. Our statistics show that the number of Victorians – adults and children - experiencing food insecurity is growing.

How we are helping...

The St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria has various services in place to assist people requiring help, these include:

• Soup vans Our volunteers, called ‘Vannies’, deliver meals, hampers, rough sleeper packs and friendship for people experiencing poverty and homelessness in inner and outer Melbourne.
• Conferences Our volunteer groups (known as conferences) have an active presence throughout Victoria and provide people with basics and food vouchers for fresh food, such as vegetables, fruit and meat.
• VincentCare Ozanam House, run by our housing specialists VincentCare, provides thousands of free meals and a barista coffee service for people experiencing hardship and homelessness through the O Café.

You can help too... DONATE TODAY