Ballarat Mayor thanks community for generous food donations

City of Ballarat Mayor Cr Ben Taylor has thanked the Ballarat community for its generosity in donating nearly 6500 items to the Emergency Food Relief Drop Off Centre over eight weeks.

Cr Taylor said there were 317 drop offs from the public, including two large donations from the Malayalee Association ($4000) and a private resident ($1000).

There were also 51 deliveries to welfare agencies including Food Bank deliveries.

The City of Ballarat’s Emergency Food Relief Drop Off Centre is now closed, with Cr Taylor instead requesting donations be given to the 3BA Winter Appeal instead, either at 3ba.com.au/community/appeals-page/98858-3ba-winter-appeal-2020 or food donations are being accepted at the Salvation Army Centre at the corner of Eureka Street and Main Road.

The drop off centre opened at the Ballarat Library on Friday 1 May and moved to Morshead Park in mid-June due to GovHub works.

“The Ballarat community has been amazingly generous and amazingly kind with this initiative and I would like to thank everyone who dropped off food donations, either at the Ballarat Library or Morshead Park,” Cr Taylor said.

“This City of Ballarat initiative has been very successful in helping people in need during COVID-19 in a practical and valuable way, and particularly highlights how Council has been flexible and adaptable during these difficult times.

“I would also like to thank the welfare agencies, Foodbank and Ballarat Community Health for their support of this initiative.”

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