
VCE Food Studies Excursion to Food Bank Drysdale
On Tuesday we travelled by school minibus to Drysdale to help at the Food Bank.
This Food Bank was established 25 years ago by Pastor Jake and his wife. Back then, someone said to him – “there are no poor people in Drysdale…” However, every week, 40 plus families come and get food from this service. On average, this lasts the family about 5 days. Another 40 families come the alternate week, so in a fortnight over 80 individuals and families are getting support from the Food Bank. They maintain a judgement free outlook for the families that come seeking support from the Food Bank and aim to help them as best they can by conducting interviews to determine what each family needs.
We helped unpack pantry goods and sort through fruit and veg, ready for the families to come through when the Food Bank opens their doors. Other students helped pack fridge and freezer boxes for the clients. We then had a look at the Community Garden that is also a part of this community service. Members of this garden grow for themselves and also for the Food Bank. It was wonderful to help out the volunteers for the morning and gain an understanding of how this very important community service is operated.
Special thanks to Ms Taylor for accompanying us with Mrs Mackenzie to be able to go out on this excursion. Learning about issues of Food Insecurity is part of the key knowledge in our Year 12 Food Studies.