Demand for Waminda House’s community food share initiative jumped 60 per cent between September 2025 and March 2026.
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The Benalla Community Food Collective Food Share Strategy was developed in 2025 and finalised in early 2026.
It focuses specifically on strengthening existing food relief, food security and circular food economy efforts in Benalla.
Despite the end of funding for this project, Waminda remains committed to leading the BCFC group, which comprises community members, food relief providers and representatives from Benalla Rural City Council, Benalla Health, Benalla Homelessness Response Group, the Benalla Food Security Network and private enterprise.
The BCFC is doing its best to encourage more organisations and individuals to actively contribute to it.
On Thursday, June 4, one local bank branch did just that, donating $1500 to the cause.
In recognition of Waminda’s incredible contribution to the community, specifically the BCFC, Commonwealth Bank Benalla branch manager Katie Moore presented Waminda Community House manager Leeane Bullard with a $1500 donation.
The donation is part of the bank’s Community Donation Program, which since its inception, has supported hundreds of grassroots organisations across Australia, helping fund essential equipment, services and programs.
The donation program empowers branch teams to back causes they know are making a tangible difference in their local communities.
The local Benalla staff nominated Waminda House in recognition of the important role it plays in supporting the local community.
“Community organisations play an essential role in supporting people when it matters most, and we’re proud to support that work,” Ms Moore said.
“Through our Community Donations Program, our branches have seen firsthand how this support helps local organisations extend their reach and continue delivering vital services.
“Our teams live and work in the community, and have a strong understanding of local needs and the organisations responding to them.
“The work Waminda does to help so many of our most vulnerable has a meaningful impact on people across our local community, and we’re proud to support the important role they play.”
Ms Bullard thanked Ms Moore and her team at the Benalla branch of the bank.
“Donations like this one from the Commonwealth Bank are lifesaving,” she said.
“It’s literally lifesaving. It helps us to pay to run our new fridge and freezer, which we got through a grant.
“Which is fabulous, but it nearly doubles our electricity bill.
“So donations like this really help.”
The BCFC place-based actions, since the January 2026 launch of the Food Share Strategy, include:
- Building a stronger working group collaboration, between local community organisations
- Welcoming locals and visitors to weekly community meals, food share pantries and community connection events, hosted across Benalla by BCFC working group partners
- Providing food share pantry carts at Benalla Community Health and Benalla Community Care, with support from the Benalla Social Inclusion Action Group
- Co-designing new prototypes for the next roll-out of food share pantry carts, led by Benalla Health in partnership with Benalla P-12 College
- Completing an upgrade to the community kitchen at Waminda Community House, thanks to local tradespeople and grant funding from state and local agencies.
- Purchasing new equipment for the Benalla Homelessness Response Group, via a local food relief grant
- Providing accredited food safety and food handling courses for Waminda and Salvation Army food share volunteers.
- Gathering data about local food safety, a rise in food fraud and retail's growing food waste volumes, to understand the impacts and costs to local health and the environment.
- Studying local food data to understand education needs across the community and sharing the results and impacts with businesses, institutions and community groups.
- Preparing the next release of the annual Food Share Strategy and Food Security Framework community survey, and
- Continuing community consultation, while seeking government, industry and business investment, and welcoming philanthropic funding towards our ongoing sustainability.
Waminda is currently awaiting a grant outcome in order to launch a Food Production Social Enterprise pilot collaboration with the Open Food network for scaled response to food insecurity across the Benalla and Strathbogie LGA’s.
BCFC has agreed to support that application due to the unrelenting pressures of providing unfunded food relief to the community, particularly with soaring fuel prices.
Evidence shows how food relief demand at Waminda has increased by a staggering 66 per cent in term one of 2026 compared to the previous year.
Over 1.5 ton of food has been handed out over the 10 weeks of Term one alone, which is a record amount, double that of the 732 kg handed out in Term 4, 2025.
Similarly, The Salvation Army has seen an increase in demand for food and an increase in new people presenting for food relief this year.
At Waminda, volunteers travel the 100km return trip to Shepparton Food Share in Mooroopna every two-three weeks.
The increase in pick-ups increases Waminda’s stock, which in turn increases demand, as it then has a bigger variety of perishable and non-perishable food items.
Funded fuel vouchers from a previous grant have now run out and Waminda is awaiting the outcome of a federal grant so it we can reimburse volunteer fuel costs.
Other costs that Waminda absorbs are the running of the commercial size refrigeration and freezer units, lighting, cooling and heating, cooking costs, staff wages, administration, promotion and ingredients.
The free lunches that are provided on Thursdays during Food Relief are also becoming more popular.
The lunch provides an opportunity for people to come together and socialise, reducing loneliness and providing an opportunity for people to find social supports and support from visiting agencies such as Centrelink and mental health and Wellbeing Local.
Ms Bullard said she would like to acknowledge Benalla Rural City Council, Benalla Uniting Church, Benalla Baptist Church, Benalla Bowls Club, Shepparton Food Share and Aldi Benalla.
“And, of course, our dedicated team of Volunteers who have contributed time, donations of food and money to the Waminda Food Relief Program,” she said.
“We are calling on any businesses or community members who may wish to make a financial donation to help offset the increasing costs at Waminda.
If you are in a position to do that, please contact Ms Bullard via manager@wamindabenalla.org.au or on 0491 630 213.
For more information on the Benalla Community Food Collective Food Share Strategy, visit www.wamindabenalla.org.au/wamindadownloads/