Fruit and veggie price hikes are hurting a Warrnambool charity as it works to keep up with increased demand of emergency food hampers.
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Warrnambool and District Food Share chief executive officer Amanda Hennessy said it was becoming increasingly difficult to source quality fresh produce that wasn't cost prohibitive.
She said between 150 and 400 emergency food hampers were made up each week for the city's most vulnerable.
The hampers include a mix of fresh produce, non-perishables, frozen ready-made meals, and bread and dairy items.
Ms Hennessy said Food Share received fresh produce from Melbourne in a weekly delivery but she was calling for more local providers to help keep up with demand.
"The south-west community has always been wonderful at donating pantry products but we need fresh produce now more than ever," she said.
Ms Hennessy said a recent Facebook status seeking help had not fallen on deaf ears.
"The general public responded really well and we had a number of small producers and people with excess in their veggie gardens reach out," she said.
"We are so grateful but are still looking for more going forward."
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The owners of Illowa's Volcano Produce have been donating their excess produce to Food Share for the last six weeks.
Ben Pohlner said his 17-year-old daughter Georgia came to him after seeing Food Share's call for help.
"We usually do have a bit of produce left over that we just plough in or give to our sheep and so Georgia had a bright idea to help out," he said.
Georgia said she pestered her dad about donating the leftover produce until he agreed.
"When I heard Food Share needed produce I thought 'we're a veggie farm, we can't see a call for fresh produce without helping," she said.
Volcano Produce will donate a cabbage to Food Share for every cabbage purchased at the Fresh Market this Sunday.
"The idea is a cabbage for a cabbage, direct to those in need," Mr Pohlner said.
"If we sell 100 cabbages, that's about 250kg of fresh cabbages we will drop off to Food Share on Tuesday."
The Pohlner's market stall will be set up until 1pm Sunday.
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