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One Million Meals. One Community Hub. Permanent Infrastructure Addressing Eastern Melbourne's Food Security Crisis.
Following twenty-three years of service delivery to Knox and Yarra Ranges families from constrained facilities operating two evenings weekly, operational capacity has reached critical limitations concurrent with regional crisis escalation.
Knox designated a food shortage red zone by Foodbank Victoria. Yarra Ranges experiencing thirty-seven per cent household food insecurity across twenty-five hundred square kilometres. Current service infrastructure meets approximately sixty per cent of documented demand across fifty-five communities.
Thirty-three thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven regional residents living in poverty. The remaining forty per cent of assistance seekers are currently diverted.
The Upwey Community Hub represents systematic infrastructure investment. Centralised permanent location within the ranges corridor. Six-day coordinated service delivery. Comprehensive support integration. Operational commencement January 2026.
LIVING IN POVERTY
That's 11.3% of our 320,000-person regional community
37% of Yarra Ranges households face food insecurity
47% of relief clients are first-time users
From one permanent community hub, six days a week
Creating $6.11 in social value for every $1 invested
Red Zone Designation
Foodbank Victoria's official crisis classification for regions where documented demand exceeds supply by forty per cent. Knox represents one of two eastern Melbourne red zones.
Food Insecurity
Unreliable household access to sufficient, affordable, nutritious food. Thirty-seven per cent of Yarra Ranges households—more than one in three families—experience this condition.
Service Capacity
Current Knox network coordinates thirty-five providers yet meets approximately sixty per cent of demand. Forty per cent of assistance seekers are diverted or waitlisted.
Contact Hours
Direct, sustained face-to-face support addressing social isolation and enabling early intervention. Delivery cost per contact hour: $32.42.
Social Return on Investment
Validated methodology measuring total social value created per dollar invested. Five hundred and eleven per cent SROI represents $6.11 generated value through crisis prevention, healthcare savings, and volunteer mobilisation.
Validation Framework
Projections assessed against Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australian Institute of Family Studies, and Social Value International standards. Methodology detailed in Part Three.
Infrastructure Investment Rationale
Current facilities have reached absolute capacity limitations. Refrigeration infrastructure inadequate. Kitchen space insufficient. Two-evening operational model unable to meet regional demand growth.
Knox red zone designation concurrent with service infrastructure constraints represents critical intervention window. The Hub addresses this systematic capacity gap through permanent infrastructure investment.
This represents the efficiency threshold enabled by purpose-built infrastructure.
Already Backed by Industry & Community Leaders
The Crisis Hidden in Plain Sight
The Problem
Knox has been designated one of only two "red zones" with the biggest food shortage in eastern Melbourne. Food parcel distribution has increased fivefold since 2022. Right now, we can only meet 60% of demand.
The other 40%? They're families choosing between rent and meals. They're your neighbours, turned away.
The Coordination Challenge
The Knox and Yarra Ranges region spans 2,500 square kilometres with 35+ food relief providers operating independently. Without central coordination, families fall through the cracks whilst some areas receive duplicated services.
The Hub becomes the central coordination point—ensuring every family gets support and no resource is wasted.
The Faces Behind the Statistics
Food insecurity doesn't discriminate. 15.4% of children in our region experience it. Single-parent families face 69% insecurity rates. Our community speaks 130+ languages and represents 140+ countries.
These aren't numbers—they're your neighbours. The family down the street. The child in your kid's class. The colleague who's too proud to ask for help.
Infrastructure Can't Keep Pace
Knox's population is growing to 177,300 by 2036. By 2046, a quarter of residents will be over 60. Meanwhile, we're carrying a $21M maintenance backlog in ageing community infrastructure.
The crisis isn't just about today—it's about building permanent infrastructure that can serve a growing, ageing community for decades.
Seven Goals. One Transformational Hub.
Validated outcomes delivering $6.11 in community value for every dollar invested
Validated Methodology
These aren't aspirational targets—they're validated projections assessed against Australian social accounting standards from AIHW, AIFS, and Social Value International frameworks. The rigorous methodology is detailed in Part 4 of this report.
From Lack of Space to Community Resilience
Permanent infrastructure serving the local community—six days a week
- October 2025: Lease Signed
- Month 1–3: Café & Op Shop Construction
- Month 4–6: Commercial Kitchen Build-out
- Month 6+: Full Operations Begin
- 100,000 meals produced annually
- 35+ partner organisations coordinated from one hub
- 20+ permanent employment opportunities created
- 2,000 families supported with food security
- Main Street Upwey location (high visibility, public transport access)
- Commercial-grade kitchen (health department certified)
- Community café (social enterprise + connection space)
- Op shop (revenue generation + affordable goods)
- Coordination hub (35+ relief providers working together)
Every Dollar Invested Creates a Proven $6.11 in Community Value
Here's how your investment is multiplied to build a stronger community
& FAMILY SUPPORT
$17.1M in validated government savings
Keeping families together through early intervention
SAVINGS
$15.4M in healthcare system savings
Nutritious food prevents diet-related illness
MOBILISATION
$5M in validated labour value
Community champions showing up for neighbours
- $6.28 in proven social value generated
- 1 meal served (every 5 minutes)
- $377 in healthcare savings and crisis prevention
- 2.5 hours of direct face-to-face support delivered
- 228 fresh meals served
- 82 food parcels distributed
- 50+ volunteer hours mobilised
- 1+ hospitalisation prevented
- 3 families kept from crisis point
- $2,300 in social enterprise revenue generated
- $39.6M in total social value created
- 1 million meals served
- 91 years of face-to-face support compressed into 12
Ready to Create $6.11 in Social Value for Every Dollar?
Turn Capital Into Community Impact
Every dollar invested generates measurable social returns whilst building permanent infrastructure that serves Knox for decades.
Tax-deductible • Detailed impact reporting • Transparent financials
Investment Tiers & Returns
Choose your investment level • Review detailed ROI projections
Every $10,000 Investment Creates:
"When working families have to choose between rent and food, that's not just a social problem—it's an economic problem that affects every business in Knox."