Demand for food explodes in Melbourne's south east

A 'New Line of Defence Against Hunger’ as demand for food explodes in Melbourne's south east

Melbourne’s south east has a new line of defence in the growing face of a hunger crisis. 

The St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria has today opened the South Eastern Soup Van Hub in Hallam, a critical new facility responding to the catastrophic surge in demand for food relief across Melbourne's south east.

The City of Greater Dandenong has the highest level of homelessness in Victoria with up to one in five people and one in four children living in poverty. In the last financial year alone, Vinnies South Eastern and Berwick Soup Vans provided over 81,500 meals, and the south eastern service saw a massive 22% increase in demand. 

Demand is increasing and the face of modern hunger has changed according to the Vinnies Soup Vans. 

The new South Eastern Soup Van Hub, the second major food distribution centre in metropolitan Melbourne for the Society, represents a significant strategic upgrade in the charity’s 50-year history of Vinnies Soup Vans. With a commercial kitchen, increased storage and the opportunity to expand our mobile pantry service as well as  deepen volunteer programs, the new hub is a game-changer. 

Dr Jennifer Fitzgerald AM, St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria CEO, said, “The warning signs of this hunger crisis are clear across Victoria: more households are skipping meals to pay rent and the calls for help are loudest from the south east – it’s no longer just the homeless or unemployed, it’s increasingly the working person, the single mum.”

“Our soup vans are powered by a small, dedicated team of employees and 700 volunteers who serve people warm food and compassion every night across Melbourne, rain, hail or shine. This new Hub will help us serve more meals, more efficiently,” she said.

“This hub is a lifeline. We’re not just handing out food; we’re upholding a person’s dignity and providing a stable base for community connection. 

“It’s our declaration that we will not stand by while our neighbours go hungry,” said Dr Fitzgerald. 

The need for food assistance across Victoria is growing rapidly. Last year, St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria’s Welfare Assistance Call Centre experienced a 50 percent increase in the number of calls seeking food assistance and alarmingly, almost half (49 percent) of Australian families with children under 18 are concerned about being able to put food on the table this Christmas, according to a recent national survey from the Society. 

“We have built this critical line of defence against hunger, but we cannot keep the doors open and the vans on the road without urgent community support. This Hub is a lifeline for thousands of people – from the family in Dandenong North making impossible choices to the person sleeping in their car in Casey. We need your donation to fuel the fight,” Dr Fitzgerald urged. 

The opening of the South Eastern Soup Van Hub continues St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria’s 171-year legacy of service in Victoria and the work of the Vinnies Soup Vans since their inception in 1975. It was made possible by the incredible generosity of the Victorian community, with $185,000 fundraised by participants in the 2024 Vinnies CEO Sleepout, combined with a $100,000 grant from the Victorian Government.

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MEDIA ENQUIRIES
Libby Woolnough – P: 0421 004 044 – E: libby.woolnough@svdp-vic.org.au 

ABOUT THE ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY
The St Vincent de Paul Society and its wide network of members and volunteers provide practical frontline support, advocacy and friendship for the most vulnerable members of our community. Key services include home visitation; Vinnies Shops; youth programs; soup vans; assistance for asylum seekers and refugees; education and tutoring; and professional accommodation and health services through VincentCare. The St Vincent de Paul Society in Victoria has more than 10,000+ members and volunteers, and more than 60,000 across Australia. Internationally, the Society operates in 149 countries and more than 950,000 members. To find out more visit: St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria | Vinnies