Ballarat residents can turn empty drink containers into meals for those doing it tough this winter with a CDS Vic container drive at the Ballarat North depot to support Foodbank Victoria on Saturday 29 August.
Until mid-October, CDS Vic and Foodbank Victoria have partnered to encourage people to donate their refunds to food relief. Every five eligible drink containers can help create one meal for those experiencing food insecurity.
Foodbank’s Ballarat Community Food Centre provides food relief with dignity and choice through a self-serve Community Supermarket. Ballarat locals and families are referred to the Community Food Centre by charity partners and local schools. In the past 12 months, 7,236 people have accessed the Ballarat CFC supermarket, including 1,144 families in the School Referral Program.
The centre has distributed 28% more kilograms of food in the past six months compared to the same time last year, with cost-of-living pressures continuing to impact many households. Across the state, Foodbank feeds 76,000 people every day and provides more than 70 per cent of Victoria’s food relief.
Rhiannon Williams, CEO of McCallum Disability Services Inc which operates the Ballarat North CDS Vic depot, said the Foodbank and CDS Vic container drive provides Ballarat locals a meaningful way to support those who need it most. “The campaign encourages Victorians to donate container refunds to help Foodbank Victoria provide meals, groceries and emergency relief through the colder months,” she said.
Matt Davis, CEO of scheme coordinator VicReturn said: “We’re halfway through the 3-month container drive, where Victorians have donated almost $18,000 to Foodbank Victoria in just a few weeks.”
Foodbank Victoria CEO, Dave McNamara added: “With demand for food relief at a record high, simple actions like donating your 10-cent containers can create real change for the 76,000 Victorians who rely on Foodbank every single day”.
To support Foodbank’s supply of food to the Ballarat Community Centre, return and donate your eligible containers at CDS Vic Depot Ballarat North (operated by McCallum) at 6 Neerim Crescent, Mitchell Park, on Saturday 29 August, 8am-4pm. Free coffee from the Golden Opportunities coffee van from 9am until 12 midday.
The CDS Vic Foodbank container campaign runs until mid-October, so 10-cent container refunds can be donated at any CDS Vic refund point. Donations can be made by selecting Foodbank Victoria on the screen at a CDS Vic reverse vending machine, choosing the charity as a payout option in the CDS Vic app, or requesting that refunds be donated at over-the-counter refund points and depots.
The partnership builds on the success of CDS Vic, which has given more than 113.5 million containers a second life across the City of Ballarat, returning more than $10.5 million back in pockets of locals.
