Community
3 July, 2026
Foodbank sees special gift
THE Corangamite Foodbank, run by the Camperdown and District Community House, has received a boost thanks to a community group celebrating their milestone.
Community House coordinator Emily Mercer and two volunteers were invited to the Cobden Rotary Club’s changeover dinner last Thursday, where a special gift awaited them.
As part of celebrations for 60 years of Cobden Rotary, the group donated $1000 towards the Corangamite Foodbank – the only service of its kind which provides food relief across the shire.
Ms Mercer said she was pleased with the “generous” donation.
“The event was a celebration of community and highlighted the incredible contribution Cobden Rotary have made,” she said.
“We are very fortunate to be among those the club recognised and supported through donations at this event, and we thank every member for their service and support.
“Over the last few years, we have started to receive a significant increase in local financial donations and support for the Corangamite Food Bank, which has allowed the service to grow with the growing need.
“We would not have been able to sustain the service under such increasing demand without this support, and we will forever be grateful.
“A great supporter of Corangamite Foodbank, and general champion of community enterprise and support, is the Cobden Rotary Club.”
In 2025, the Corangamite Foodbank distributed 1720 food hampers across its distribution partners across the shire – an equivalent of $258,000 of food.
This is a 79 per cent increase from 2024, with an average of 130 residents each week supported through this initiative.
Distribution partners include Corangamite Shire Council, Camperdown Community Health, Camperdown Uniting Church, Camperdown’s St Vincent de Paul shop, Camperdown Mental Health Service, Derrinallum Community Centre, Derrinallum Op Shop and the Skipton Community Pantry.
Ms Mercer said the foodbank was funded through the Community House and is run by volunteers.
“Community House is responsible for the management of the food bank service, with a small but very dedicated volunteer team supporting the entire operation, from unloading our deliveries to packing each food hamper,” she said.
“Approximately 85-90 per cent of all items are purchased by Community House, and we also finance the other operational aspects, such as pest control and the purchase of flat pack boxes.
“We are fortunate to receive regular donations from Camperdown, Cobden and Timboon Ritchie’s IGA supermarkets, along with bulk pantry items from Western District Food Share.
“We apply for grants each year to support the service, and traditionally this has been the main way we have been able to continue.
“Unfortunately, this is a very insecure way and grant applications are never guaranteed to be successful – we have needed to expand the sources of financial support for the foodbank service in order to make sure there is greater financial security going forward and the capacity to continue to meet increasing need for food relief on our community.”
Volunteers are also welcomed alongside financial or food donations, and anyone interested in volunteering can contact Ms Mercer on 5593 1403 or over email on office@camperdownch.com.au.
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