Moira FoodShare coordinator James Rouel said it was a game-changer for the communities they supported.
“We have been without refrigerated items for six-months, which greatly impacted the level of support we could provide,” Mr Rouel said.
“What was missing was healthy nutritional products that helped families put meals on the table.”
Moira Foodshare supports more than 3,500 residents each month, delivering food every week to 33 different agencies across 19 different towns.
“Fresh, nutritious food is often the hardest to access in rural areas. Losing our refrigerated supply was a massive blow, but we didn’t back down,” Mr Rouel said.
“We pushed, we problem solved, advocated loudly for our region and thanks to Foodbank Victoria’s commitment to regional communities, we now have a solution.
“This is something we are proud of and have been working tirelessly with Foodbank Victoria and a range of local MPs from across all political lines to reinstate since October last year.
“We know we are one of a very select few to have this reinstated and this would not have happened if we didn’t stand up for rural and remote Victoria.”
Mr Rouel said the community fundraising campaign ‘Mission 250’ was ticking along nicely with more than 130 patrons.
Anybody willing to contribute $10 a month, or $2.50 a week can help provide stability to continue Foodshare’s work.
The program is 100% tax deductible and accessed from the Moira FoodShare webpage at https://mhacare.org.au/food-share/