Victoria’s Labor government has handed out $830,000 in taxpayer funds to charities to deliver free halal food to Muslims, and “culturally appropriate” meals for immigrants and aboriginals.
The Community Food Relief Program includes Coordination Grants of between $150,000 and $300,000 for large-scale non-profit organisations, “aboriginal entities”, and social enterprises who are in formal partnerships to help Victorians who are facing “food insecurity”.
And the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing confirmed on Thursday that $1.6 million had been allocated to seven 2025-26 recipients, with more than half of the money going to projects serving minority groups.
The recipients include:
Foodbank Victoria, which was given $160,000 to partner with the Islamic Council of Victoria and deliver 4,000 “culturally suitable meal kits” across the state.
Alex Makes Meals, which was given $270,000 to make and deliver 70,000 “culturally appropriate” meals in Melbourne’s northeast, in partnership with Sustain: The Australian Food Network.
Geelong Foodshare Inc, which received $250,000 to provide people in Colac Otway, Golden Plains and surrounding areas with “healthy and culturally appropriate food” along with major food relief charities.
FareShare Australia Incorporated, which was given $150,000 to work with the Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency to expand its “Meals for Mob” program and “deliver nutritious, culturally appropriate meals to 5 additional communities”.
The remaining grant money went to SecondBite and Bendigo Foodshare to assist communities in the Mallee area, and OzHarvest Limited to expand their food relief network.
Another $7.4 million was given to 126 local grant recipients, many of them representing minority groups, to “help Victorians access healthy and culturally appropriate food”.
“This funding will continue to make a meaningful difference for Victorians experiencing food insecurity across the state,” the Department said.
“All people in Victoria should have access to the food they need.”
The grants come after the state government last month gave immigrant organisations $400,000 grants to a total value of $2.5 million to upgrade community facilities, with African and Middle Eastern groups at the top of the list of groups given priority.
Header image: A line for free food in Melbourne in July (FoodBank Victoria).
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