Thursday, 15 August 2024

Ministers statements: community food relief

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Housing, Minister for Water, Minister for Equality) (12:09): I rise today in my capacity as Minister for Housing, and last week we were able to announce 11 organisations who will receive a share of the $1.1 million community food relief funding earmarked in the 2024–25 budget. I want to give a huge thankyou to every organisation who continues to provide help and support to those who are doing it tough – we know that food insecurity is a challenge for people all over the state – helping them to put food on the table and in the bellies of their little ones, providing every essential item that they need, including those items that are of greatest importance to making and keeping a good clean house: detergent, bedding, toiletries, sanitary items. These organisations are the Community Grocer, St Vincent de Paul’s soup van, Stonnington Community Assist, Uniting Hartley’s Meals, St Mary’s House of Welcome, Reaching Out in the Inner West of Melbourne, Merri Outreach Support Service, Flemington people’s pantry, Emerald Hill Mission, Australian Muslim Social Services Agency and, finally, the Park Towers Community Pantry.

It was a real joy to return to Park Towers and to meet with Troy, who has been running the community pantry there for some time. Troy is a force of nature, and it was such a joy to return after his advocacy efforts alongside the extraordinary Nina Taylor in the other place to confirm a $250,000 grant to help him to provide additional support within community to an extra 1000 people as a result of this fund. His daughters Shilo and Amber are justifiably so proud of the work that he does to make sure that people who are most vulnerable, who do not have a voice of their own, are given what they need as a consequence of his advocacy. I want to say congratulations to Troy on achieving this outcome with, for and by his communities, and since opening its doors in 2022 the pantry has done remarkable work thanks to his efforts, his stamina and his dedication.