![Sarah Vickers, Amanda Hennessy and Tonia Wilcox at Warrnambool Foodshare. Sarah Vickers, Amanda Hennessy and Tonia Wilcox at Warrnambool Foodshare.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/134792786/56093e46-af1e-4425-88e5-e26dff6419c8.jpg/r0_0_3764_2509_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Donations to Warrnambool and District Foodshare have plummeted at a time when increasing cost of living pressures are driving up demand for the service.
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Executive officer Amanda Hennessy said increases in total food distribution and the number of people requiring emergency food relief were a direct result of the current cost of living crisis.
Year-to-date (June), the number of people receiving food was 35,370 - an increase of 11,878 from the past year - but community donations decreased by 12,052 kilograms while the total amount of food rescued reduced by 3403 kg across the same period.
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Ms Hennessy said the latest data showed how important the service was to the south-west.
"Place based emergency food relief is critical as the regional food hubs such as ourselves can reach more people in towns and remote locations across our region via our agency partners with our emergency food being distributed far and wide," she said.
"We have agencies and schools supporting people in Warrnambool, Port Fairy, Koroit, Hamilton, Portland, Heywood, Terang, Mortlake and Camperdown and beyond.
"An example of the wider distribution is via the Hamilton Salvation Army who regularly visit Coleraine, Casterton , Merino, Digby and Dunkeld to deliver emergency relief."
Think Impact founding director Ross Wyatt said a 2021 study of the city's organisation supported the investment in and need for the service.
"We looked at the impact foodshare organisations are having," he said.
"Interestingly for every dollar in value (including monetised value of volunteer time) invested in Warrnambool foodshare they are generating $5.60 in value.
"Because they are so successful in creating volunteer opportunities this has the effect of bringing this ratio down. If we just looked at financial contributions only the ratio is closer to $50 in value generated for each dollar donated."
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