Food relief grants: refrigerated van to stock The Big Umbrella's EAT.ATMs
The Victorian Government has announced $9.5 million in food relief grants for 177 organisations, including a refrigerated vehicle for a network of seven 24/7 meal machines.
A Victorian charity that runs meal vending machines for people in need will buy a refrigerated vehicle with a Victorian Government food relief grant, as 177 organisations share in $9.5 million in funding.
The Victorian Government announced the 2026–27 Community Food Security Program grants on Friday 23 October. The announcement was made by Minister for Carers and Volunteers Luba Grigorovitch.
Meals on the move for The Big Umbrella
According to the release, The Big Umbrella will use its grant to buy a refrigerated vehicle to safely transport meals to its network of seven EAT.ATMs. The government says the machines provide discreet, convenient, 24/7 access to food for individuals and families in need, and are designed to reduce the barriers and stigma of asking for help.
The Big Umbrella said: “The EAT.ATM model is designed to remove barriers to food relief and make support available when and where people need it. This funding will help us expand our impact and ensure more individuals and families can access nutritious food with dignity and respect.”
Where the money goes
The release says the $9.5 million is split across two streams:
- Local Grants: 168 organisations will share $7 million.
- Coordination Fund: nine more organisations will share $2.5 million to strengthen food relief services across Victoria. They include The Community Grocer, SecondBite | FareShare, Alex Makes Meals and Foodbank Victoria.
Other funded projects named in the release include:
- Common Ground Project on the Surf Coast, running food education and cooking programs for migrant and refugee women.
- Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and Family Access Network, providing food relief to asylum seekers, young people and families facing hardship.
- Enjoy Community Inc and Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place, expanding access to nutritious and culturally appropriate food.
The government says the funding will support food rescue, social supermarkets, meal production, affordable fresh food and better coordination between services, to help meet growing demand.
Find out more
The release does not list all 168 Local Grants recipients or the locations of the EAT.ATMs. You can read the full government media release.
Sources: Victorian Government media release, “Innovative Eat.ATMs Fight Food Insecurity Across Victoria”, 23 October 2026. Adapted from “Innovative Eat.ATMs Fight Food Insecurity Across Victoria”, Victorian Government media release, 23 October 2026. © Copyright State Government of Victoria, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence; this version has been edited and shortened, and party-political content removed. Illustrations: The Dosage.