A new OzHarvest food rescue hub is set to open in the City of Casey in the coming week, looking to deliver 6000 extra meals each week.
Set to open on Thursday, 12 June, the new hub at Hallam will alleviate pressure from 12 local charities on the waitlist for hard-hit communities across Casey, Cardinia, Frankston, Greater Dandenong, Knox, Monash, and the Mornington Peninsula.
The OzHarvest manager for Melbourne, Christine Crowley, said that “food insecurity isn’t just about hunger – it’s about dignity, health and the impossible decisions people face every day just to survive”.
The Hallam site is part of OzHarvest’s wider expansion plan to better support people in need, and has been made possible through funding from the Victorian Government’s Community Food Relief program.
Woolworths is also a national partner with OzHarvest, with dozens of stores across Victoria donating surplus food daily to help feed local communities.
According to OzHarvest’s 2025 Community Needs Survey, it revealed that there is a national hunger emergency, with a 54 per cent increase in people being turned away by the 1500 charities OzHarvest serves across Australia.
“This is the toughest it’s ever been, and more than a third are reaching out for help for the first time in their lives,” Crowley said.
“Every meal we rescue gives someone the strength to get through the day, and with winter approaching, this new hub means we can reach more people faster, and in the communities that need it most.”
In Victoria alone, 81 per cent of the charities OzHarvest supports saw an increase in demand for food relief, with 77 per cent of charities needing more food to meet demand.
Nearly one third – 29 per cent – of people seeking food relief are also doing so for the first time ever.
On 12 June, 8am is the scheduled time for guests to arrive and for breakfast to be served, with an 8:30am tour of the new space.
