The Christmas Giving Appeal and Food Drive will run in partnership with Bendigo Toyota and local supermarkets.

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Bendigo Foodshare manager Bridget Bentley said the organisation has seen an increase in people at risk of food insecurity and hunger as a result of the pandemic.

She said this pandemic has left many people in the region struggling, many for the first time in their lives.

"Nearly two years of this long pandemic has taken its toll on everyone," she said.

"While many of us are now enjoying new found freedoms and an easing of financial pressures, there are an increasing number of people in our community who are struggling in the lead up to Christmas. It's really tough for so many people.

"Our local food relief organisations are seeing food distress among those being locked down as local COVID numbers surge and an increasing number experiencing financial hardship due to this sustained pandemic.''

Ms Bently said due to the increase in demand for food relief across central Victoria, they have been working hard to maintain their current warehouse operations.

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She said to support these efforts, Bendigo Foodshare has created an online Christmas Giving Appeal to coincide with the food drive to ensure that they can keep the fridges running, vans on the road and food supplies up, and are encouraging people to donate ahead of Christmas.

"We are urging people to donate through their website bendigofoodshare.org.au and give the gift of a meal to a family in need this Christmas or by donating an item of food for the food drive," she said.

Bendigo Toyota marketing manager Gabrielle Richards said the food drive was something they had been involved in for years.

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"These services are accessed by all sorts of people and it's not limited to just one demographic," she said.

"This is a practical and simple way you can help out when you shopping, you already are there to shop for yourself so if you could grab an extra one or two things and throw it in the Foodshare bin then that is amazing."

Bendigo Foodshare is encouraging people to 'put one thing in the bin' at Bendigo Toyota, local Woolworths, Coles and IGA supermarkets for a month-long effort to fight hunger in Central Victoria, through a community food drive for non-perishable food items from Monday 15th November to Friday 17th December 2021.

Related:

Staple food items can be hard to come by, due to their long-lasting nature and universal popularity, which means our food donors don't have a great deal of surplus stock to donate.

For that reason, Bendigo Foodshare is encouraging the community to support their own by donating long-life and canned foods during the month- long food drive.

"It only takes one item from each person to make a large impact in our community," Ms Bently said.

The most needed essential food items, include:

Bendigo Foodshare wants to empower all of Central Victoria to get behind their Christmas Appeal and food drive by either making a donation through their website at bendigofoodshare.org.au or by donating 'one thing in the bin' at participating supermarkets.

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