Errol St to welcome Vinnies soup van service

St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria is set to move in to 54 Erroll St, with the City of Melbourne providing the premises to assist with packing food hampers for those in need.

The council is providing the “Vinnies Soup Van” service a one-year licence at a peppercorn rent, so the service can continue to pack food hampers, after COVID-19 health directives put a temporary halt on the traditional van on the street.

Vinnies Soup Van operations manager Sarah Cromie said the organisation was still handing out hampers to those in need.

“While we haven’t yet resumed our street stops at Queen Victoria Market and Federation Square, we are still driving around the city looking for people sleeping rough and handing out hampers,” she said.

The council’s health, wellbeing and belonging portfolio lead Cr Olivia Ball anticipates that demand for the service could soon be higher than before.

“We anticipate that demand for their hamper service may increase now as economic support measures from other levels of government have been reduced or removed,” she said.

The local soup van service has traditionally been based at the Jean McKendry Neighbourhood Centre on Melrose St, with food being cooked in the kitchens and then delivered via soup vans to those in need.

But with social contact restrictions coming into play during the pandemic, the Vinnies Soup Van service started packing food hampers in the main hall and delivering them to people experiencing food in security.

The service packs and delivers more than 1000 hampers each week, with hampers including fresh fruit and vegetables, along with non-perishable food.

Deliveries are made to those experiencing food insecurity, including to people in hotels and rooming houses as well as in the North Melbourne public housing.

With community groups now moving back into the hall, Vinnie’s Soup Van needed a new home to continue the delivery service.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said that job losses, business closures and reduced working hours had placed many people under financial strain.

“It’s vital that we work with Vinnies to provide this essential food relief,” she said •