Get the appFood and coffee chain Soul Origin has extended its partnership with charity Eat Up. It will fund an additional 68,000 sandwiches for children who might otherwise go without lunch, bringing the total to 136,000. Eat Up says it has delivered more than six million lunches since launching in 2013. The partnership will be marked around Sandwich Day on November 3, with branded Eat Up sandwich bags available at Soul Origin stores nationwide.
Foodbank Tasmania's Hunger Report 2026 has found that more than one in three Tasmanian households are struggling to put food on the table. An estimated 200,000 Tasmanians are living in households experiencing food insecurity, reflecting strong financial pressure across the state.
One in three households experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months, according to Foodbank's latest Hunger Report. That is 3.6 million households, 100,000 more than last year. Up to 60 per cent of single-parent households were affected, with some parents going without so their children can eat. Foodbank CEO Kylea Tink called for a national school breakfast program. The Federal Government has provided $700,000 in surge funding to help redirect surplus food to struggling households.
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Get the appNearly one in four regional households, 23 per cent, experienced severe food insecurity, compared with 18 per cent in capital cities, according to the Foodbank Hunger Report 2026. Overall, 3.6 million Australian households, or one in three, experienced food insecurity over the past 12 months, up by 100,000 on 2025. Foodbank chief executive Kylea Tink said hunger is now affecting middle-income and working families. The organisation is lobbying governments for a national minimum standard for school breakfast programs by 2030. It welcomed a $700,000 federal surge funding commitment announced on October 11.
Severe food insecurity in Australia rose by around 40 per cent between 2020 and 2024, according to an analysis of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey. The proportion of people affected grew from 2.1 per cent to 3.0 per cent. Single-parent families with children face the greatest risk, with rates rising sharply among those with older children. The increase varied across cities and regions. The authors say better data is needed to direct support to the people and communities at greatest risk.
A NSW-based charity, Diva Charity, has received an electric van to expand its food rescue work. The van was fully funded by the NSW Environment Protection Authority. It will help the charity collect and distribute groceries and other essential items more efficiently, and keep edible food out of landfill. Founder and Director Christina Iskandar said the charity relies heavily on community support and partner generosity. The charity plans to use the van six days a week, and to strengthen partnerships with schools, community centres and homeless services.
Volunteers cooked more than 12,000 meals for families in need on the Central Coast last week during the Great Dolmio Cook-off. The event aimed to tackle food insecurity.
Food relief organisations across the Geelong region are struggling to meet growing demand, and many have been forced to turn people away. New research from the Give Where You Live Foundation found 72 per cent of surveyed organisations saw increased demand over the past year. Almost half of single-parent households with children under 15 reported running out of food in 2024. Zac Lewis said food insecurity required longer-term solutions alongside emergency relief.
A new report from the NT Council of Social Service says almost half of Northern Territory households faced food insecurity in 2025 because of rising prices. Foodbank Australia estimates 46 per cent of NT households were affected, above the national average of 33 per cent. Its authors have called for income support payments to be raised and the government's low-cost essentials subsidy to cover more fresh food.
Picabeen Community Centre in Mitchelton is asking North-West Brisbane residents to donate food and household essentials for its annual Christmas Hamper Program. The centre expects more than 150 families will need support this year, up from about 140 last Christmas. Suggested items include canned goods, pasta, rice, cereal, long-life milk, pet food, toiletries and baby products. Gluten-free options are also welcome. Donations are needed by 1 December and can be dropped off at 22 Hoben Street, Mitchelton.