Kyneton Community House’s food relief service is under pressure as grant funding ends and increasing costs of living continue to put strain on households.
Last year, the not-for-profit organisation provided 4850 community meals with support from a state government Community Food Relief grant.
That funding ended in December with Kyneton Community House continuing the high demand service on a dwindling budget.
CEO Claire Rawlinson said the organisation recognised a strong need for the program but needed outside support to secure its future.
“We’ve been propping it up and we don’t want to remove that service but at the moment it does feel very pressured,” she said.
“We’re now seeking a corporate sponsor to help us continue providing meals for the community.”
The community house estimates that a $10,000 sponsorship ($250 each week, over 40 weeks) would ensure the program could continue for another year.
This funding would be alongside ongoing valued support from Hardwicks, Bakers Delight and other local growers.
Claire said demand for the service had gradually increased since the COVID-19 pandemic.
She said it was clear that cost-of-living pressures were beginning to hit a new demographic of people.
“People are coming through our doors that never have before. The cost of living, and now petrol, is really impacting people,” she said.
“Fuel is so expensive at the moment. There are people in the community making a decision between whether they fill their tank with petrol or serve the family a meal. They’re not liveable choices and people need support.”
Kyneton Community House has provided meals through its weekly sit-down community lunches and through meal delivery for people in need.
Claire said the program removed barriers by enabling people to access food relief without the need to explain their situation.
“We were kind of an underground railroad for food relief,” she said.
“We trusted the people who were seeking support. When there was a shortfall in other programs or means of accessing support, we were able to assist. We just wanted people to know that they had access to home-cooked meals and didn’t want to create any barriers. It’s hard enough to ask for help.”
The community house program has reached various people in the community through outlets like Kyneton High School and Omnia.
Kyneton Neighbourhood House’s latest call for funding follows their participation in a state-wide campaign to improve overall Neighbourhood House funding last year.
The ‘Keep Our Doors Open’ campaign called on the Victorian Government to boost the Neighbourhood House Coordination Program funding by 25 per cent in the 2026 Budget.
Anyone wanting to support the Kyneton Community House food relief program can contact Claire on 5422 3433.
