Magpie Meals Project soars in to help battle food insecurity

Collingwood Football Club has been provided the opportunity to continue collaborating with Meals with Impact after being selected as a 2023 City of Melbourne Connected Community Grants program recipient. 

The grants program has provided the Magpie Meals Project with $20,000, which will help it to continue to grow and offer its services into the new year. 

Established in February, the project not only provides employment for women of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, but allows them to co-design, produce and deliver culturally appropriate meals for vulnerable communities in Melbourne. 

Collingwood AFL, AFLW and netball players will also continue to volunteer their time to cook alongside the employees. 

The development of the project comes as food insecurity rises, and the lack of culturally appropriate food that became clearly apparent during the COVID lockdowns has only confirmed the importance of supporting this project.

“Last year, one in three Melburnians experienced a degree of food insecurity, so we’re eager to work with Collingwood and Meals with Impact to make sure that our most vulnerable are supported,” Lord Mayor Sally Capp said.

“We’re proud to support a project which not only provides women with meaningful and fulfilling employment pathways but is also dedicated to ensuring all Melburnians have access to nutritious, affordable and culturally appropriate food.”

Magpie Meals Project is one of 74 community not-for-profit organisations that have received up to $20,000, and of the 74 selected, 38 per cent were first-time applicants. 

When selecting the recipients for next year, Cr Capp said it was important to select projects that “deliver impactful and empowering outcomes for our residents and communities”. 

Upon being recognised for the work done to support those who were more vulnerable in the community, Meals with Impact co-founder Harris Ryan expressed his thanks to the council. 

“[The] funds from the City of Melbourne will greatly assist the operational activity of the Magpie Meals program, [as] we rely on funding to employ more women to produce relevant food support for Melbourne’s culturally diverse communities,” Mr Ryan said.

“We thank the City of Melbourne for seeing the value in this program and allowing us to continue this work in 2023.” •