Charities and food relief agencies are under more pressure than ever trying to keep up with the demand created by residents and families who can't afford to feed themselves.

Victoria's only dedicated emergency food warehouse, the VicRelief Foodbank, has recorded a steady increase for supplies from agencies working within the municipality.

In the 2006-07 financial year, supplies to the value of $438,626 were injected into Moonee Valley - in 2008-09 that amount has jumped to $677,367.

VicRelief Foodbank's headquarters are a warehouse where agencies pick up supplies to distribute to the needy in their local areas. In Moonee Valley, Doutta Galla Community Health, the Flemington Tenants Association and various multicultural groups are among the agencies that draw on Foodbank.

Community relations manager Richard Watts said the increased demand meant his agency needed to look for additional suppliers of donated food.

"We are just keeping our heads above water. Certainly in the case of Moonee Valley, it's a upward trend in demand and the question is, can we keep up the level of donated goods to meet that demand?"

Mr Watts said the economic situation was contributing to the rise in the number of residents doing it tough. Earlier this month Community News reported Centrelink officers in Airport West and Newmarket had seen a dramatic jump in the number of job seekers within Moonee Valley in the past 12 months.

"The economic circumstances are certainly one of the reasons behind increased level of disadvantage, homeless and unemployed and perhaps more so families succumbing to increased debt," Mr Watts said.

Kensington charity SecondBite also supplies several agencies in Moonee Valley with relief food.

Food program manager Russell Shields said more food relief programs had been formed in recent years.

"In terms of the increase in demand, what we have seen is several new agencies contact us for food and then the agencies already working with us have also increased their demand - so it has been on two fronts.

"[The economic downturn] is part of it for sure, but there has been a gradual rise over the last three years and then the GFC biting now has perhaps been that spike."