By Violet Li
Cranbourne Food Truck has called out for support through volunteering, material and financial donations, and changes to housing restrictions after surging food recipients amid the cost-of-living crisis.
Chairperson of the Food Truck committee Chris Marsh said the number of people who seek food had grown considerably since the beginning of this year.
“The amount of people that come to the truck has doubled,” she said.
Cranbourne Food Truck provides hot meals every Monday and Wednesday evening and food parcels every Tuesday afternoon.
Ms Marsh said the number of people who came for the dinner on Monday 2 October had reached a phenomenal 41, which she had never seen before.
She is concerned that if the number keeps going up, the food truck could not cope with not enough volunteers.
“Since Covid, people who volunteer has gone down,” she said.
“Pre-Covid, we used to send the truck out on a Monday, a Wednesday, a Friday, and a Saturday.
“After Covid, we couldn’t do Friday or Saturday because we didn’t have the volunteers to make the truck work.”
She said it is extremely difficult to get volunteers.
“We’ve been very lucky, and we’ve got some young volunteers, like university students, that sort of age,” she said.
“They only volunteer once a month, but that’s enough to cover once a month.
“What we really need right at the moment is day volunteers, so a steady six hours a week.”
Food Truck administrator Marie Magdziarz said the truck relies heavily on material and financial donations because there is no funding or grants.
“There are grants that are available in the city council, but they are for specific things like equipment, not consumables,” she said.
“We do buy from food banks when we absolutely need to, but it depends on what food bank has available.
“If food banks don’t have eggs or bread or milk, then we can’t provide it.”
Ms Magdziarz said the food truck had built up a community network of donations.
Cranbourne Food Truck has recently received donations from customers and staff at Woolworths Pakenham and Coles Botanic Ridge Village.
The food truck sends out a monthly wish list for three items to the public and a couple of congregations.
For October, the food truck is collecting pasta sauce, cereal, and tea bags.
“We used to have a huge amount of pasta sauce, and now we don’t,” Ms Magdziarz said.
“It is reduced right down.”
Ms Marsh and Ms Magdziarz said the cost of living had been driving people to the food truck after Covid.
“People are really doing it tough,” Ms Magdziarz said.
“They’ll pay all their bills and everything. And then they’ll come to places like up here for their groceries.
“We know that people catch the bus to come and have a hot meal.”
Ms Marsh said the committee started handing out food parcels during Covid because they could not send the truck out.
“We thought once Covid finished, we’ll stop doing those food parcels, and we’ll just go back to doing the truck again,” she said.
“But then we realised that the food parcels were actually more important now than what they were during Covid.
“We’re probably serving five or six families during Covid and now, we’re up to nearly 20 people.”
Ms Marsh said many people who come to the truck don’t have their own accommodation.
She said the State Government has come on board to build more public housing, but councils have to change their attitudes towards housing restrictions.
“Even trying to find a caravan to rent is extremely difficult,” she said.
“You can’t have a caravan in your front yard or your backyard if someone is living in it full time.
“They can only be in there for, like, three months.”
She said it is very difficult for families to extend in Casey.
“The only way we can live with our children or have our children live with us is we put a granny flat in the backyard, which can only stay there while the grandparent is living in it.
“Once that grandparent passes away or moves on to a different accommodation or the family moves out, that granny flat has to be removed.”
Ms Marsh said until the council changes their attitudes towards housing, it will remain hard for people to find affordable housing.
During October, Cranbourne Food Truck will seek donations of pasta sauce, cereal, and tea bags. If you wish to help, drop off at 41 Lesdon Ave, Cranbourne, Coles Botanic Ridge, or Balla Balla Community Centre.
Cranbourne Food Truck is also looking for a daytime volunteer. Contact thefoodtruck00@gmail.com if you are interested and want to give a hand.
