The four minute Ballarat Foundation film created by video production team Mass Motion will tell the story behind shocking statistics. 

“We have showcased the fact that 12 per cent of our population are going hungry every year and that is just not acceptable,” Ballarat Foundation chief executive Matt Jenkins said. 

“The film is a conversation starter rather than giving you the full answers.”

It will present interviews with food insecurity experts and agency workers providing support to those in need. 

Mr Jenkins said it was important to tell the story of food insecurity specific to Ballarat. 

“As a child growing up we are told we need to eat everything on our plates because there are children starving in Africa. Africa is now here in that there are children and families that need food locally,” he said.

“It is not just the rough sleepers and the people presenting to charity agencies for meals that it impacts, so many families where mum and dad might be working, or single parent families who may not necessarily present to the agencies but skip meals every day.

The short documentary also kicks off the Feed Ballarat Appeal, a Ballarat Foundation fundraising campaign to tackle food insecurity in Ballarat. 

The appeal hopes to raise at least $3.5 million to build a Foodbank warehouse in Ballarat and provide further support to food relief agencies. 

“My greatest wish is that no charity exists for the purpose of feeding hungry people,” Mr Jenkins said. 

“But unfortunately the problem will continue to live on for the foreseeable future.”

Visit https://feedballarat.org/  for more information and to donate. You can share on social media with #feedballarat.