Delivering their nine millionth meal, local OzHarvest volunteers emerged from their iconic bright yellow van carrying baskets of watermelon, oranges, celery and bread for the children at PCYC Canberra.

OzHarvest ACT manager and driver, Belinda Barnier, says the organisation has been working in the Canberra and Queanbeyan community for 14 years and the delivery of their nine millionth meal today, Thursday 28 July, is a significant milestone.

She says OzHarvest are growing and improving their reach each and every day, but the need for their services is, sadly, continuing to climb.

“It’s a concern because yesterday, our delivery of fresh fruit and vegetables was on the decline. So, with the rise in prices, the leftovers are just not there because wholesalers are being very careful with what they can and cannot supply to the retail end,” says Ms Barnier.

“We give for free, and we receive for free, so our only cost is our drivers and to keep our vans on the road. So, our costs are very minimal, but we need to keep those wheels turning. If we can’t pay for the driver and we can’t pay for the van, the deliveries don’t happen.”

OzHarvest receives $30,000 worth of funding each year and Ms Barnier says they have to “cut corners” to make ends meet.

“We have to cut corners, we have to disappoint, and we have to say no. So, if we had more funds, we could be better at what we do,” she says.

“I invite the departments of Health, Environment, Planning, and Education to please come and work with OzHarvest. We would like to work together as partners because the strain is there, the cracks are there.

“I’m known as a pretty happy, hearty, enthusiastic person, but I do have my moments and it’s because the ask is always there, and we don’t have all the answers.”

CEO of PCYC Canberra, Cheryl O’Donnell, echoes OzHarvest’s plea, saying there’s overwhelming community need, yet minimal amounts of support and funding.

“We actually do struggle funding-wise, and to be able to deliver, and to know that we have this [OzHarvest] for young people so that they’re getting nutritional meals… you couldn’t ask for anything more,” says Ms O’Donnell.

“Over the past couple of years, there’s been a massive growth in need and especially during the 12-week lockdown that we recently went through, we were getting a lot of people requesting food support from us.”

Ms O’Donnell says right now in this economic crisis, Canberra families are struggling and “everyone knows it”.

PCYC have been blowing through their fuel budget halfway through the month, and she says that’s only one of the increases the organisation is experiencing.

“It’s [ACT Government funding] never enough,” says Ms O’Donnell.

“We appreciate what we do get from the government and ACT Policing that enables us to do what we do to help these young people, but the way the situation is at the moment, more needs to be put in the not-for-profit sector to support families who are doing it tough.”

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