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About the Food Grants Program
Food grant applications open in mid October and close mid November each year.
The program provides financial contributions to local, not-for-profit organisations that give food assistance and meals to those most in need in our local community.
This can be meals to homeless people, people needing emergency assistance or people who are financially in need.
Special emphasis is given to food activities that help address problems of social inequity.
Funding amounts are up to $2,000.
Timeline
- 28 October — Applications open on Council website
- 19 November — Applications close
- December — Applications assessed
- Mid-December — Successful applications advised
Making an application
Before making your application please read our Community Grants and Subsidies Policy
Prepare information regarding your project proposal, budget information and supporting documents.
For more information contact the Community and Arts Administration Officer.
Community grants
For more information contact the Community Capacity Building Officer.
Funding conditions
- Organisations receiving a grant are required to acknowledge Council’s assistance on publicly available material associated with the project. This includes any media releases, award submissions, brochures, posters and television promotions.
- Successful organisations will be advised by mid-December and a valid tax invoice must be received at Council by the date advised on the successful funding letter.
- Funds must be spent for the purposes of conducting the program as endorsed by Council.
- The program must be completed in line with the details outlined in your grant application and an Acquittal Report on the expenditure of the grant must be completed and received at Council.
- If you have leftover money after the completion of the project, or if your approved project does not go ahead, you must return the money to Council.
2023 funding recipients
Congratulations to the successful 2023 Food Grant projects.
The Kirribilli Centre – The Good Life Program
Our program brings our community together to talk, share, and look at ways to lead a happier more fulfilled life, through easy, everyday practices. The program is fantastic as it creates community, it reduces social isolation, it helps our community make friends, they laugh more, they interact and most importantly, those most vulnerable make connections over discussion and food. Each week we provide morning tea for the participants, as we know (due to economic reasons) some of our participants are skipping meals.
St Vincent de Paul Society NSW – Share our Plate
St Vincent de Paul purchases supermarket gift cards, which enable many of the poor and the sick across the North Sydney LGA to purchase essential food items. Without this assistance, many will simply go hungry. The calls for assistance increase each year (while the number contacting the Crows Nest Vinnies Centre is in the 450-500 per year, the increase of 'walk-ins' to the Centre has increased dramatically in the past 12 months) and we aim always to respond quickly to those calls. Volunteers run the service.
Taldumande Youth Services – young people Christmas BBQ and lunch
Many young people at Taldumande can’t spend Christmas with their families, so Taldumande provides a Christmas celebration barbecue. Music and games are organised so everyone has fun. Our refuges provide a festive Christmas Day meal for all our children and young people who do not have anywhere else to be. Food hampers and food vouchers are distributed to young people and their families who are struggling to provide enough food on their tables.
Phoenix House – Open Kitchen program
Phoenix House's long-running 'Open Kitchen' program provides support to our clients between the ages of 12 - 24 who are at-risk of homelessness, experiencing educational disruption, or issues with mental health. As-part of our on-site case management and / or counselling services, clients are actively invited to grab food from our fridges and pantries (hence the 'Open Kitchen'). The food is regularly re-stocked, and our aim is to balance abundance, variety (and, of course, nutrition!)
Crows Nest Centre – Festive Food Hampers
Each year the Crows Nest Centre provides 250 festive food hampers to people who are isolated, unwell, ageing or living with a disability. Many of these people live alone and have little to no contact with family or friends. We hope to spread some joy this Christmas, especially given older people are very vulnerable.