Echuca Neighbourhood House celebrated a major milestone on Wednesday, November 5, after receiving a $20,000 boost from the Echuca Lions Club.

For the past year, the team has been fundraising for a commercial-grade cool room to help store more food for local families in need.

Currently, the house is relying on three large chest freezers and six upright fridges and freezers — all of which are jam-packed, limiting how much food can be stored.

With a new cool room, the house will be able to remove some of the existing units, create more shelving space for food, and reduce energy use.

The Lions donation constituted a quarter of the total cost of the cool room, with the whole project estimated at $80,000.

Echuca Neighbourhood House co-ordinator Sarah Peake said without the community’s support, they wouldn’t be able to provide their services.

“Honestly, we wouldn’t be able to do it. Community supporting community is a huge thing,” she said.

“We’re very fortunate to have the number of organisations and clubs and services behind us and backing us in what we do offer and do for the community.

“Because the (food) program is just continuously growing, (this donation) means feeding more mouths and putting more food on the tables for people that need it.”

Since starting in 2020, Echuca’s food bank program has expanded rapidly.

What began as around 20 hampers a week, has grown to 30 to 40 hampers prepared daily for families in need.

The food stands out the front of the house have also become a local favourite, offering free access to essential items.

In support of the project, the Echuca Lions Club chose the neighbourhood house as the beneficiary of its annual golf fundraising day.

The club initially raised $10,000 before writing to the Lions Foundation to match its donation, bringing it to a grand total of $20,000.

The club members presented the donation to Ms Peake on Wednesday afternoon, with state Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh also in attendance.

Echuca Lions Club president John Simson said the club was happy to provide support.

“It’s a worthy cause, full stop,” he said.

“We've got to be careful that the money stays here because the local industry and businesses, they want the money to stay here.”

The neighbourhood house team is hoping to have the new cool room up and running early next year.

Once the installation is complete, locals can also look forward to a new community-led cooking program.

The program will see residents, groups, clubs and businesses coming together to create meals that can be frozen and distributed to the community members in need.

For more information about the food bank, visit tinyurl.com/2cys9ej4

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