“The plus of The Outpost is it is a central community hub that people can rely on.”
Surveys, focus groups, and interviews from the Food For Thought Research were in consensus that demand for food relief has increased, and is expected to continue rising. Agencies also experience changes in demand with regard to changing client cohorts and complexity.
The Outpost
The Outpost has provided food relief services in Geelong for 33 years and serves over 1,200 people per month. It operates on a small annual budget and over 70
volunteers. The Outpost provides cooked meals for lunch Monday, Wednesday and Friday and dinner 365 days a year, with no barriers to access.
Its central location and reliability have enabled it to become an important support service, especially when other services are unavailable over holidays. The Outpost’s model of services
contributes to the availability, access, and stability dimensions of food security in the region.
“Consistency is key to the longevity of our organisation, but also accessibility.”
“Barriers to access support through some services are limiting for people…we never refuse food service and do not require personal identifiers”
“The plus of the Outpost is it is a central community hub that people can rely on.”
Demand for the Outpost’s services has increased significantly in recent years, with a 50% increase in people accessing its services. There has also been an increase in the complexity of needs,
including mental health issues and homelessness due to the housing crisis. More families, young people and professionals have been accessing The Outpost’s services.
The Outpost currently relies on a month-to-month lease and faces an uncertain future in its current location. More space would allow The Outpost to provide additional services and improve its variety of food offerings. Lack of access to medical and mental health services is an ongoing issue, with several Outpost clients passing away in the past 18 months due to lack of treatment. Trusted, accessible healthcare remains an unmet need.
Space and facilities continue to be a challenge for the Outpost whose attendance is swelling. The Outpost receives generous donations and has a large, dedicated volunteer base which has grown over the past two years. However, more could be done to encourage donations of food and other essential items from local businesses and organisations to support the food relief sector. Culturally appropriate and nutritional food options could be improved across the sector. The costs and expertise required to provide specialised menus are challenging, especially for smaller organisations, but remain an important need particularly for those with dietary requirements.
Collaboration between organisations and levels of government remains limited. Competition for funding and ‘patch protection’ have prevented greater cooperation. The Outpost’s ‘no questions asked’ and non-judgmental approach has enabled it to build trust and cooperation with its clients, some of whom the Outpost will be their only daily touchpoint. The generosity and volunteerism of the Geelong community is an enabling factor. The Outpost primarily addresses the food security dimensions of availability, access, and stability. Identified future directions include nutritional content packaging, incorporation of Indigenous and dietary foods into services, providing related outreach services if space and resources were available, and fundraising events
to harness community awareness and support.