TRANSCRIPT
As the cost of living crisis continues, more than 3.7 million households across Australia are estimated to be experiencing food insecurity.
This number, found in Foodbank's Hunger Report 2023, is a 10 per cent increase from 2022 and a sign that the rising price of goods is pushing families into further instability.
Many Australians are seeking help from community support services for the first time, including those with full-time jobs and mortgages.
Charities such as OzHarvest are trying to help by distributing donated food that would normally go to waste.
Suzanna Droppa, market manager for the food provider, says services such as hers have seen a huge surge in the number of people in need.
"So we have seen a sharp increase in the numbers. So if we think about this time last year, we're now seeing 20 per cent increase in customers that are coming and seeking our service. That would be around 2,100 customers that we see every single week. I've been with OzHarvest for 5 years now and this is the worse I've seen it in all those years."
Recent data from the Consumer Price Index from the Australian Bureau of Statistics found that food prices had risen 4.8 per cent in the third quarter of 2023 when compared to the same time last year.
One food-insecure man, Jake Mah, says charity groups have been incredibly important for his family who have had to cut meals due to rising prices.
"If it wasn't for OzHarvest or the churches giving food we'll starve. When we go to the supermarket we pay the same prices as people. We dont get free fruits and vegetables at the supermarket. So we got to budget or buy less and you eat less. I've lost weight because it's too expensive to shop around.”
Ozharvest takes unsold Fresh fruit and Vegetables from supermarkets before their use-by-date and distributes the food to charities across the country.
In Australia it's estimated that one in five shopping bags goes to waste, adding up to about 7 million tonnes of food each year.
And customers at the OzHarvest food pantry in Sydney are appreciative of the leftover food, as they stock up for the holiday period.
One service user, Roy Russell, says he'd love to see more support for the charity.
"OzHarvest has helped me incredibly. I come here every week and it makes it much easier. I wish they had more support or more encouragement from the government and the community."
And meanwhile, this holiday season, many Australians are changing their spending habits and cutting back on buying gifts.
Edwina Macdonald is the acting C-E-O of the Australian Council of Social Service.
Ms Macdonald and other advocates are urging the Federal Government to better support people on low incomes who are bearing the brunt of this cost of living crisis.
"So we're asking for urgent an increase to income support payments to bring those up in line with the pension of $78 a day. We're calling on the government to increase funding to community services to be able to support people in times of need, and also to look at ways to reduce energy costs for people on the lowest incomes."
During the festive season, charity services say many of their users are also looking for some company.
Suzanna Droppa from OzHarvest says the friendship and community offered at charity hubs and food pantries are a big part of the appeal.
"It’s a big part for what customers come for the food and as well as the connection and where most than during the Christmas time. It's nice for people to connect and some people are lonely. We have so many new elderly customers.”
