TRANSCRIPT
Across Australia, charities are struggling to keep up with a surge in demand for everyday items - with many people seeking support for the first time.
The chief executive of homelessness charity, Dignity, Suzanne Hopman says she's seen this increasing demand first-hand.
“When most people think of homelessness, they do picture a man on the street with a brown paper bag asking for money but what we know is that rough sleeping makes up less than seven per cent of homelessness, and the other 93 per cent are the men, women and children, and others, that you can't see.”
Ms Hopman says that need in the community has increased beyond anything she could have imagined ... and it's often essential non-food items that are the first to go as people struggle to afford housing and food.
“When someone comes into Dignity, they often arrive with absolutely nothing, and thanks to the support of Good360 and others we're able to provide some of those basic needs, of clothing, of toiletries, of hygiene products that are able to really lift, make someone feel better about themselves and that real sense of dignity.”
New research by the not-for-profit Good360 shows 82 per cent of charities say community demand for essential non-food aid is at an all-time high.
This includes items like personal hygiene products, clothing, education supplies, play things for children, household appliances like microwaves, washing machines and fridges ... and furniture.
Good360 surveyed 500 charities and disadvantaged schools during August this year.
The results show that 60 per cent of them have seen a broader range of people who need support, while 58 per cent have seen more people needing help for the first time.
Founder Alison Covington says the cost of living is the main factor.
“Absolutely, cost of living is the number one reason people are now asking for support so they're having to make choices. They're having to choose between eating, cleaning or having access to these items, and it's really quite crippling that people have to make these choices.”
According to the Good360 research, charities are finding it hard to keep up: 65 per cent said they don't have enough donated goods to meet the needs of their community.
Ms Hopman says Dignity is one of them.
“The demand has just skyrocketed. We've seen so many additional people, many for the first time, reaching out for help when they never thought they would be in a position to need it, and we rise to that challenge as much as we can but sadly we are not able to provide, currently, the amount of products and services that we've been asked to provide.”
In an effort to help, Good 360 is trying to salvage more of the estimated 2.5 billion dollars of unsold household goods that go to waste around Australia every year.
The organisation already redirects unsold goods to charities and people in need and as demand grows, it’s calling on the federal government and the business sector to do their part.
“Businesses, they can donate to Good360 so that we can get them out to the 4500 charities that we support all around the country, but we're calling on government to also fund non-food aid, so it's essential that people get access to these everyday essentials that they need and they can't afford to buy.”
They're crucial steps needed to tackle the unprecedented surge in people seeking support, which is predicted to increase even further, with 84 per cent of the charities saying they expect demand to increase further next year
