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About our Food Hub

The FOOD HUB provides UTAS students with access to free fruit, vegetables, bread and pantry items. It’s your place to access nutritious ingredients to fuel your studies and reach your full potential during your time at uni!

*Please note that the produce available at the Food Hub may vary as we rely on donations.

Where is it located?

FOOD HUB is located in The Ref, across Sandy Bay Campus – see map here. For more updates, follow our Facebook page.   

The Ref is currently open every Tuesday and Thursday, 9am to 4pm while our Food Hub is open every Tuesday and Thursday, 11am to 2pm. We are open during UTAS holidays, however closed on public holidays.

Register to access our FOOD HUB:

Pre-registrations for each week opens at 6pm every Friday on QPay. 

Remember: 

  • Register ahead of time 
  • Please bring your containers and bags to collect your free food 
  • Stay at home if you have flu or flu-like symptoms
  • Please only register for one ticket per week; we will remove your duplicate ticket purchases
Get Involved
Food Education
Donate

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How much will it cost me to access food from the Food Hub?

All items and pantry won’t cost you anything, though registration for collection is essential. We only allow one registration per week to ensure that we can provide this service to a many students as possible. In 2023, TUSA is partnering with Tasmanian food rescue organisation Loaves & Fishes, the Food Bank, local producers, and Gateway Life for bread supply. This partnership allows TUSA to be a food redistributor and helps make food available free of charge. 

How do I access food outside of those hours?

Free bread will be displayed outside of the Food Hub between 11am and 2pm on Thursdays or you can collect them at TUSA Hub in Lazenby’s every Wednesday.

If you are in significant need, please reach out to our Student Advocacy Team and they will work with you to find food supports.

Do I need to be part of a religious or cultural group to access support?

Most places, including the TUSA Food Hub, welcome all. Some services may be targeted toward particular groups such as international students. You can find out more by contacting the specific service for details.

Do I have to give my name or provide evidence that I have lost my job when using external support providers?

Most external places providing immediate food relief do not need to know your name, but some support organisations will need to know who you are so they can help you properly. Some external service providers may require evidence of hardship.

Do I need to provide my Student ID?

Some external food support organisations may ask for your Student ID. If they do, you can ask if they are recording information or just checking whether you are a student.

At the Food Hub, we do ask that you provide your Student ID, as it is a service for students.

Are there any other organisations in my area that might not be on this list?

Yes! This list is not comprehensive, as new organisations are putting their hands up to help all the time. Google your area, use the ASK IZZY app, keep an eye on the news and check back here for updates.

These people are helping me, how can I give back?

If you have the time, consider volunteering for an organisation that provides support to community members who are struggling. If you don’t, keep the organisations that help you in mind for if, in the future, you are able to volunteer or donate.

There are also other valuable ways you can help by reaching out to people for conversations, contact people you know and find out how they are going, or organise to do an activity together on the phone.

Remember if you’re struggling, there are people here to help you. You can always reach out to the TUSA’s advocacy service or the UTAS personal counselling service. Both provide free and confidential advice and support.

Other Food Security Resources

Here at TUSA, we understand the hardship of not being able to access affordable, nutritious, and tasty food. The cost of living crisis means that many students are struggling financially and may not have the money to spend on groceries.

Emergency Food Relief

FOOD – SOUTH

Hobart City Mission 
50 Barrack Street, Hobart.
Ph: 6215 4200
11 Main Road, Moonah
Ph: 6215 4251
 

Loui’s Van South 
Ph: 6234 4244  

St Vincent de Paul Society 
212 Argyle Street, Hobart. Ph: 6234 4244

City Mission 
48 Frederick Street. Ph: 6335 3000  

The South Hobart Free Food Stand 
Opposite 468 Macquarie St, South Hobart 

Kingston Beach Free Food Cupboard 
Outside 33 Beach Road, Kingston Beach  

Kingborough Helping Hands Association 
1 Waratah St, Kingston
Ph: 0449 110 895
 

Kingborough Family Church Community Care Program 
11 Glory Place, Huntingfield.
Ph: 6229 2196 

Sikh Temple Hobart
126 Roaches Beach, Lauderdale.
Ph: 0404 729 545
 

Nepali Society 
0423 352 476  

FOOD – NORTH

Door of Hope
50 Glen Dhu St, South Launceston.
Ph: 6344 8450

The Launceston Benevolant Society 
5 Innocent Street, Kings Meadows.
Ph: 6344 4213 
 

St Vincent de Paul Society
Van. Ph: 6326 5551  

The Caring Network
2485 West Tamar Highway,
Exeter. Ph: 6394 3471
 

Devonport Community Hourse 
10 Morris Avenue, Devonport.
Ph: 6424 7060
 

Burnie Community House
24 Wiseman Street, Burnie.
Ph: 6433 3219
 

Wyndarra Centre
43 Smith Street, Smithton.
Ph: 6452 2722
 

Grow Gather Give 
Fiddler St, Cooee. Ph: 0400 622 884  

If you are based in Rozelle/NSW, check out these alternatives below:

OzHarvest Market Waterloo

OzHarvest Mobile Market (Regional NSW)

Study NSW and Food Bank

SecondBite

Anglicare Emergency Assistance

St Vincent de Paul Food Services

Or you can can find your closest food relief charity via Ask Izzy

GROCERIES VOUCHER

Salvation Army
180 Elizabeth Street, Hobart. Ph: 6211 2100
35 Clarence Street, Howrah. Ph: 6244 4615
73 Hopkins Street, Moonah. Ph: 6228 6274

Catholic Care Emergency Financial Assistance
35 Tower Road, New Town. Ph: 1800 819 447 or 6278 1660
201 York Street, Launceston. Ph: 1800 819 447 or 6332 0600
85 Best St, Devonport. Ph: 1800 819 447 or 6423 6100
108 Mount St, Burnie. PH: 1800 819 447 or 6431 8555

The Caring Network
2485 West Tamar Highway, Exeter. Ph: 6394 3471

Youth Family and Community Connection
62 Stewart Street, Devonport. Ph: 6423 6635

Financial Support for Groceries

Some community organizations offer grocery vouchers or emergency funding as part of their support services to assist individuals in times of need. These resources can help individuals access essential food items or provide financial assistance during difficult circumstances.

South – Grocery Vouchers 

Salvation Army  

180 Elizabeth Street, Hobart.
Ph: 6211 2100  

35 Clarence Street, Howrah.
Ph: 6244 4615  

73 Hopkins Street, Moonah.
Ph: 6228 6274 

Catholic Care Emergency Financial Assistance  

35 Tower Road, New Town.
Ph: 1800 819 447 or 6278 1660  

North – Grocery Vouchers 

Catholic Care Emergency Financial Assistance  

201 York Street, Launceston.
Ph: 1800 819 447 or 6332 0600  

85 Best St, Devonport.
Ph: 1800 819 447 or 6423 6100  

108 Mount St, Burnie.
Ph:1800 819 447 or 6431 8555 

The Caring Network
2485 West Tamar Highway, Exeter.
Ph: 6394 3471  

Youth Family and Community Connection
62 Stewart Street, Devonport.
Ph: 6423 6635 

In addition to the aforementioned community support, UTAS also provides financial assistance through the Financial Hardship Scheme. If you are facing financial difficulties, you can apply for support by clicking here.

How to Maximise a Tight Budget

1. Cook for yourself:

If you have cooking facilities available to you, it is almost always cheaper (and often healthier) to cook for yourself. YouTube is a great resource for learning how to cook if you don’t know how to do it, and you can start basic and work your way up when you get better skills and more cooking equipment. You can also join our FREE Let’s Get Nourished sessions to learn how to make easy, affordable and nutritious meals. Learning from others can be really useful and it has the added bonus of building relationships, whether it is talking more to your family as you cook, getting to know a flatmate, or perhaps giving romance an opportunity to bloom!

2. Shop smart:

Before you go shopping, check what you already have in your pantry, fridge and freezer to avoid buying more of something you don’t need. This also allows you to plan meals around what you already have that needs to be used rather than on all-new ingredients. Before shopping, write a list, and then stick to it! To help with this, don’t go grocery shopping while hungry, and shop around the perimeter of the store, only going down the aisles containing the items on your list.

Get to know which fruits and vegetables are in season in Tasmania and base your meals around them because they are often cheaper when they are in season; to help with this, check out Eat Well Tasmania’s In Season guides. And if it doesn’t grow here it might be best to skip that ingredient because the cost of getting it here probably adds to its price. Frozen vegetables are also a viable option; they are just as nutritious as fresh vegetables, and they last longer. This makes them a good option for preventing food waste and therefore saving money. Your local supermarket will often have times where they mark down perishable items like meat and bread. Get to know when that time is, and plan a shop around it. This works particularly well if you have a freezer and can buy things cheaply and save them safely for later in the week.

See something on special? If you use it a lot, then try to get as many as you can afford (whilst still keeping money for your other purchases). If there is something you use frequently, try waiting until it is on special – there is usually a cycle and it won’t take too long for it to get marked down again. Sometimes you can get 10kg bags of rice for half price! Sign up to mailing lists from supermarkets and grocers near you so you know what is on special each week, or shop online to conpare supermarket prices and get the best deals.

3. Create a mini-co-op:

Cooking for one or two people can be an expensive way to do it. Food is often cheaper in larger amounts, and you may find yourself wasting a lot if it is just you or you and one other person. Think about whether there is a group of people in your home, your building, your street or somewhere else like your class, club or church who you might consider bulk buying with. This can mean that you can pool your money to get the good deals, but you aren’t left with huge amounts of something you can’t use. Always make sure you have clear arrangements and communication to minimise conflict though.

Another option is to join a community garden. This allows you free access to fruit and vegetables in return for some of your time. They can also help you create a sense of community.

4. Cook in bulk and freeze:

If you are able to cook and have access to a freezer, it can help to make food in bulk and freeze it. Soups, currys, stews and spaghetti sauces are always great ones to freeze. You can save money and time. You can use clean plastic takeaway containers to freeze in too, so if you do buy takeaway make sure to save them.

5. Bulk out meals:

If you really need to cut down on cost, it makes sense to bulk out your meals with the cheapest ingredients, right? Some good options are rolled oats, rice, lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, potatoes, noodles and pasta. If you have vegetables that need to be used up, you can use them to bulk meals out too!

6. Minimize the meat:

We aren’t here to tell you to become vegetarian, but meat is expensive! One way to save money is to cut down on meat in your diet. This might mean eating a few vegetarian meals each day or week, or it might mean slicing up one steak in a veggie stir fry between a few people, rather than having a whole steak and veggies on the side each. Eating a plant based diet can definitely be less expensive if you are buying your fruit and vegetables in season. Legumes and eggs are a cost effective plant protein course, and are cheaper than meat; and they can also be used to bulk out dishes. 150g of cooked legumes is equivalent to 115g of meat, and 2 eggs is equivalent to 1 serving of protein.

7. Grow your own:

Some things are easy to grow and expensive to buy! So it’s an easy choice to give it a go.

Even if you have minimal space, like a kitchen bench or even a windowsill, you can grow bang-for-your-buck items like fresh herbs and leafy greens. Don’t know how? Just jump on Google – there is heaps of information out there. Facebook and Instagram are also excellent places to learn how to grow, join groups, or share your own growing journey!

About TUSA’s Food Security Program

Food insecurity, or difficulty accessing adequate food, affects up to 53% of UTAS students, impacting their ability to focus on studies.   

In response, we established an inclusive and secure food system that offers meaningful engagement, culturally appropriate and nutritious food, education, events, food relief, affordable food options, as well as student employment, learning, and volunteering experiences. TUSA’s Food Security Program aims to ensure no student goes hungry, by tackling food insecurity through:

  • Food Hubs  
  • Food Education 
  • Food Preservation and Innovation 
  • Edible Gardens  
  • Social Enterprise Food Options  

TUSA Food Security Program Case Study

Food Security Program Supporters

Healthy Tasmania Fund

$5,000 granted by the Healthy Tasmania Fund, through the Tasmanian Government, in support of the FOOD HUB project.

Tasmanian Government, Community Food Relief Grant

$10,000 granted by the Community Food Relief Grants Program in support of the FOOD HUB project.

TUSA would like to acknowledge donations from local producers, Gateway Life & Loaves and Fishes. We would also like to acknowledge our new partnership with Food Bank.

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