Community Grant – Milpara Emergency Foodbank

Milpara is a community organisation based in South Gippsland, operating an Emergency Foodbank that supports individuals and families experiencing difficult circumstances. The foodbank provides short term relief to people across Korumburra and surrounding towns, offering access to essential groceries and frozen meals when they are most needed.

“Milpara will not refuse service. We will always provide a level of support, with the aim of offering a hand up rather than creating reliance.”

Before receiving support through the SilverChef Community Grant, the foodbank relied on two ageing freezers that were no longer fit for purpose. A chest freezer made stock rotation difficult and posed safety risks for volunteers, while an upright freezer frequently failed, with collapsing shelves leading to broken containers and lost meals.

Limited space compounded the issue. The chest freezer took up valuable room without providing usable capacity, and food was often stored temporarily in walkways while volunteers worked out where to put incoming donations.

Through the Community Grant, Milpara was able to purchase a FED‑X XURF1200S2V upright freezer, giving the organisation reliable, commercial‑grade equipment suited to the scale of its service.

“The difference sounds small, but it has had a huge impact.”

The new freezer is now used every day to store frozen meals for distribution through the Emergency Foodbank. Food loss has reduced significantly. Since installing the new freezer, the team has not had to discard meals due to crushed containers, missed rotation, or equipment failure.

The changes even made room for an additional fridge, extending the life of fresh fruit and vegetables and further reducing waste.

In 2025, Milpara recorded at least 786 visits to the foodbank and distributed a minimum of 3.5 tonnes of food, including 947 frozen meals. Donations have been received from schools, bakeries, community kitchens, churches, service clubs and local producers.

While the freezer hasn’t changed how the foodbank operates day to day, it has future‑proofed the service. The team can now accept larger donations and has the flexibility to adapt quickly if community support fluctuates.

For Milpara, the SilverChef Community Grant didn’t just fund a freezer. It improved safety, reduced waste, supported volunteers, and strengthened the organisation’s ability to provide reliable, dignified support to people across the region.

“Again, we’re incredibly grateful. It really has had a huge impact for us.”

SilverChef Community Grants program

The SilverChef Community Grants program supports groups and organisations serving disadvantaged or marginalised members of our community.

You can read more about our Community Grants program here.