Foodbank
Access to adequate nutrition is the most basic human right, and it must come as a surprise to many Australians to learn that there are people in Australia being denied that right. 75% of the asylum seekers who come to the ASRC's Foodbank have no work rights and receive no form of welfare support; they have no income! The Foodbank exists therefore to provide good nutrition, fairness and dignity to asylum seekers.
Volunteer, Mary Lou Ridsdale
"What a place to be a volunteer! We meet people from all over the world and learn about their families... and their foods! We are also prompted to think more deeply about the difficulties of leaving behind homes and families and lifestyles. Some of the regular Thursday gang have been volunteering for many years – I’m just a newcomer and I love it!"
Asylum Seeker, Heybet
"I am Kurdish and from Turkey, and in 2007 ‘c/o ASRC’ became my first address in Australia. I have come to the Foodbank every Thursday since then and the ASRC is my second family. The Foodbank volunteers are wonderful and I love them. Without the Foodbank I would have no life."
One of our Supporters
"Four years ago, we at St. Anthony's Catholic Parish, Alphington were moved to organise ourselves to fundraise so we could make regular donations to the Food Bank. This has meant raffles, selling cakes, gift wrap, and cosmetics and last year, an Indian dinner, complete with a Masterclass in Pork Vindaloo. It has involved hard work and the payoffs have been mixed - the pleasure of being in a position to help those in need and time for reflection in the Parish on why, in this day and age, vulnerable people are forced to rely on the goodwill of others for food." Laxmi Fonseca.
What We Do
Asylum seekers can visit the Foodbank once a week every week to select the food that they need. Instead of simply handing people a food parcel, the ASRC ensures fairness and dignity by presenting food in ‘the supermarket model.’ Shoppers can see all the food that is available, organized into food groups, and make their own choices within set limits.
Approximately 140 families visit the Foodbank every week for their groceries and the Foodbank budget allows expenditure averaging $6 per person per week. Obviously this amount of money is insufficient to ensure good nutrition, which is where the Food Action Network comes in. The Food Action Network is an affiliation of individuals, workplaces, schools, community groups, food charities (SecondBite, FareShare and VicRelief + Foodbank) and places of worship who donate foodstuffs to the Foodbank on a regular basis. Their contributions effectively triple the amount of food that the Foodbank can supply to asylum seekers! Click on this link to find out more about the Survival Network or to donate food.
The Foodbank itself is a wonderful environment, full of respect, compassion, lively conversation and healthy food. Volunteers and asylum seekers get to know each other well as the months and sometimes years roll by, and the fight for justice continues.
