Ballarat Keralites' Foundation Of Australia Taste of India event raises more than $5000 for Ballarat SoupBus

This comes as the monthly consumer price index rose to 6.8 per cent, with the most significant contributors comprising food and non-alcoholic beverages, which saw an 8 per cent increase, and housing, which saw a 9.9 per cent spike.

The government also lodged a submission on Friday about increasing the minimum wage, however they have yet to specify a number, which is set to impact more than 2.6 million workers from a range of sectors such as early learning, aged care, disability care, fast food and retail.

Craig Schepis, founder of the free after-dark meal service the Ballarat SoupBus, said over the last few months he had witnessed about one in three people who visited the SoupBus enquiring about the availability of dog food.

"What we're trying to do is look into a different demographic in regard to their pets, and making sure that we've got appropriate food for the animals because the animals are coming before the owners," Mr Schepis said.

"So we're trying to make sure that we can resource and purchase pet food, so that we can actually have the pets have the correct food and also then making sure that our clients are actually eating and not just simply looking after the animals.

"It's quite multifaceted but there's a huge need and it's full on."

While the SoupBus had factored a smaller number of their consumers wanting pet food in the past, he said this number was well and truly on the rise.

"Every now and then we might've given pet food and thought, 'oh, yeah, well, we have animals come down so that's probably not a bad idea' but now we're finding that we're trying to divvy it (pet food) up into smaller bags so that we can hand more and more out," Mr Schepis said.

Uniting Ballarat homelessness senior manager Adam Liversage said he had bore witness to a similar trend emerging with pet food in "high demand" among their emergency relief group clientele.

"We give away a lot of pet food, not just in material relief, but across a lot of our programs. So that's pretty common," Mr Liversage said.

"The cost of the grocery bill and when it's wet, windy and raining what do you do? They don't have the financial resources to help support healthy eating and healthy meals so it's become quite expensive."

Results collected from Mission Australia's Youth Survey Report 2022, which was completed by 5097 Victorians aged 15-19, revealed about one in 20 sought financial aid from family, friends or charitable organisations.

Mr Schepis said he had seen a notable spike in younger people visiting the SoupBus for assistance.

"We're having more youth that are attending because cost of living is so tight at the moment and it's real," he said.

However, he said equally, there had also been a greater number of families in need of help.

"What we're getting is a lot more families that are coming, not just to the SoupBus, but they're coming to the shipping container (the SoupBus's donation centre behind the Ballarat East Community Men's Shed) outside of hours, during the day on our drop off days," Mr Schepis said.

As part of Harmony Fest earlier this month, the Ballarat Keralites' Foundation Of Australia hosted a south Asian buffet for the Ballarat SoupBus.

The event, which garnered 300 people, resulted in 500 meals and had all profits go to the vital meal service, raised more than $5000.

Mr Schepis said his organisation was beyond humbled by BKFA's support over the years.

"We were appreciative that this was going ahead on our behalf but to then find out that it was a huge success, and then the amount that they'd raised; it's amazing," Mr Schepis said.

He said the money would be used to either gain more non-perishable goods for the SoupBus; aid in obtaining a second bus, which has plans to be rolled out in Sebastopol, or help in developing their services at the Wendouree Neighbourhood Centre.

"We don't get government funding so we rely on community donations - this sort of fund injection is so critical," Mr Schepis said.

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Ballarat Keralites' Foundation Of Australia community services coordinator Abraham Chacko said his organisation was working on plans to double the funds raised by their annual Harmony Fest event for the Ballarat SoupBus for next year.

"We were thrilled to raise so much money for such a great cause and it was one of our most successful events," Mr Chacko said.

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