Council provides emergency food relief grant

Last modified on 14 September 2021

Lifesource Foodcare

Willoughby City Council will provide $7,500 in grant funding to the LifeSource FoodCare program that provides emergency food relief to low-income earners or community members financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funding will provide eligible Willoughby LGA residents with essential grocery items. Each Thursday, about 70-100 community members and families pay $15 to LifeSource to receive up to five bags of pre-packaged groceries worth up to $45.

It costs $2 a year to be a LifeSource Commuity Care member and this enables access to FoodCare on a weekly basis. To be eligible, community members need to be low-income earners (earn under $37,500 a year), be a Centrelink benefit card holder or a recommendation from a community agency like The Salvation Army if there’s no Centrelink card.

LifeSource Community Coordinator Kay Waddle said, “If anyone comes to us without a Centrelink card, they would still get the food they wanted. That has always been our policy.

“It’s important that community members have access to a balanced diet regardless of their financial circumstances. This guaranteed funding can provide protein packages up until April to May 2022. It means each week we don’t have to scrimp and scrape.”

The LifeSource FoodCare program is the first grant awarded from Willoughby City Council’s 2021/22 Grants for the Community Program. Grants of up to $7,500 are available to not for profit and sporting organisations, individuals, small businesses, social enterprises and performing arts groups.

Mayor Gail Giles-Gidney said, “We’re thrilled to be able to fund an essential grocery service to community members who are financially affected by COVID-19. No Willoughby resident should ever go without a meal and LifeSource FoodCare’s not for profit program, serving the community since 2014, is a great initiative.

“I’m proud that our new grant structure allows Willoughby City Council to provides grants to people or organisations who need it the most all year around,” said Mayor Giles-Gidney.

To access Council’s grants, applicants need to demonstrate how their project will address one or more priorities of Council’s Community Strategic Plan (CSP), Our Future Willoughby 2028 -  a city that is green, connected and inclusive, liveable, prosperous and vibrant, effective and accountable.

Priority funding will be provided to projects that help the community achieve the following:

• Community recovery to the COVID-19 pandemic
• Increased resilience to deal with future shocks and stresses
• Enhanced community connectedness
• Access to high quality entertainment and events.

To apply for the Grants for the Community Program or for more information, please visit Grants Willoughby City Council (nsw.gov.au)

To apply for the LifeSource FoodCare program, please visit https://www.lifesource.org.au/foodcare 

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