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Colac Otway Shire Council is encouraging local businesses and residents to assist a Colac district charity support local families and disadvantaged people who are struggling to put food on their tables.

Council Chief Executive Peter Brown said the Colac and District Community Foodshare needed food and cash donations after supplies from larger state agencies had declined dramatically because of the COVID situation.

Mr Brown said donations of food could be directly passed on to people, and cash donations through the Bendigo Bank for the Foodshare to buy food would greatly assist hundreds of local people at this difficult time.

“The Community Foodshare has helped thousands of people since it was established in 2015 and there is significant demand in our community to ensure food security,” he said.

“We have a very generous community and there are many people and some businesses who will have excess produce and will want to help.

“Council hopes to get the message out that if people are in a position to make a donation, whether it’s food items or cash, that they can make a real difference by supporting our local Community Foodshare.”

Colac and District Community Foodshare Treasurer Paul Kennedy said Colac and District Community Foodshare received some support from Foodshare Victoria.

Mr Kennedy said the state Foodshare agency was under a lot of pressure as a result of the COVID situation, and donations of fresh food had completely stopped since the introduction of pandemic restrictions.

“We’re not getting any fruit or vegetables or frozen food from Melbourne at the moment and there are not many vegetables coming from local farmers because of travel restrictions,” he said.

“We would welcome anything we can get locally; basic food items like breakfast cereals, jars of jam, canned food such as baked beans, and items for easy-to-make meals,

“Our shed at 10 Bath Street, Colac, has freezers and fridges, and we’d be very happy to take any donations on Tuesdays or Thursdays between 10am and 1pm.

“Cash donations can be made at the Colac branch of the Bendigo Bank,” Mr Kennedy said.

“We are worried the demand is going to increase, and we don’t know when we will get back to normal.”

Anyone experiencing financial difficulties and concerned about food security should contact local welfare agencies such as The Salvation Army or Vinnies, which can connect them with the Foodshare program.