The Hobsons Bay Community Fund is proud to support Laverton Community Integrated Services (LCIS) with a $7,500 grant to provide “Go Bags” with hygiene and food items for the homeless in Hobsons Bay and culturally appropriate food support for individuals from CALD backgrounds.

Hobsons Bay is a culturally diverse municipality. In Laverton, more than 50% of residents were born overseas, and nearly 50% speak a language other than English at home. This diversity is reflected in LCIS’s Emergency Relief program, which supported more than 2,200 people in 2023–24. Many clients are newly arrived migrants, asylum seekers, or families from refugee backgrounds, and the demand for support is growing.

A challenge has been ensuring that emergency relief support meets the cultural, religious and dietary needs of community members. In the past, families sometimes received items they could not eat due to halal, vegetarian, gluten-free or other cultural requirements. This could lead to waste, embarrassment, or distress. One parent shared, “I took the food because I was too shy to say no… but I couldn’t give it to my children.” Another said, “I had to throw half of it away… I felt ashamed asking for something different.”

Thanks to the Hobsons Bay Community Fund grant, LCIS is now addressing this challenge through “Go Bags” for people experiencing homelessness or crisis accommodation. Each bag contains hygiene essentials and ready-to-eat food, and culturally appropriate items—including halal-certified, vegetarian, gluten-free and familiar foods can be selected based on the individual needs of the client - ensuring that recipients receive support they can safely and confidently use.

This project is already making a difference in Laverton, helping to meet immediate needs while promoting dignity, inclusion and respect for all community members. The Hobsons Bay Community Fund is proud to partner with LCIS to ensure emergency relief in the municipality is practical, culturally responsive and inclusive.

Naheed from Laverton Community Integrated Services with a Go Bag

Examples of some of the items provided in the Go Bags

Emily and Naheed from LCIS talk to Schools in Philanthropy students about Go Bags project