By Meg Hocking
Right now, as you read this, one in five Australians are skipping meals or whole days of eating just to get by. This is what a national food security crisis looks like. With living costs climbing, wages stalled, and housing and energy bills out of control, food is often the first thing to give.
On the frontlines of this crisis, Uniting Vic.Tas is seeing more people than ever turn to its services, many reaching out for the very first time.
“The people who access food relief at Uniting come from all different walks of life,” says Ella, Uniting Vic.Tas Emergency Relief Support Worker in Prahran. “Big families, single parents, pensioners, people who are sleeping rough or don’t have a fixed address.
“We really see a wide variety of people. It makes you realise that anyone can be struggling.”
In times like these, Uniting Vic.Tas’ emergency relief food pantries are a critical lifeline for people in crisis, providing relief, care and hope.
Rudi, aged 66, is one of the 13,000 people who turned to Uniting Vic.Tas for emergency support last year. Financial stress and housing insecurity have gripped much of her life.
“I have been homeless three times, once with a 10-year-old,” Rudi says. “Not knowing where your kid is going to sleep is just … (my daughter) doesn’t remember how scared her grandmother and I were.”
Rudi was sceptical when her disability support worker suggested she visit Uniting Vic.Tas in Prahran.
“Asking for help is hard,” she says. “In the past when I needed help it wasn’t there. I was treated as an inconvenience, a non-entity. None of that is true at Uniting Vic.Tas. They have been amazing.”
To meet the surging demand, Uniting Vic.Tas relies on food donations and volunteer support to keep pantries stocked and staffed. This need is particularly pronounced during the colder months.
“During winter it gets very cold in Victoria,” explains Ella. “Bills go up … people need to keep the heating on, the gas on. And sometimes they can’t afford food that month because those bills are so high.”
The Uniting Vic.Tas Food For Families program, which collects donations of non-perishable food and essential household items, is crucial in keeping shelves stocked. Last year, one in four donated items at Uniting Vic.Tas in Prahran came from Food For Families.
“By giving people food relief, we also give them a bit of hope,” Ella says. “If they’re sleeping rough or they’re a single parent trying to keep their head afloat, it gives them that hope because they can use that money for something else. They don’t need to pick between eating that night and keeping the lights on.”
Rudi regularly visits the Uniting Vic.Tas facility in Prahran for a warm meal and food relief support.
Unlike pre-packaged food hampers, food pantries ensure choice and dignity for all people who come in. Families and individuals can select food that meets their dietary requirements, cultural needs and personal preferences.
“Having a choice of food gives people the autonomy they need,” Ella says. “In the pantry they get to walk out knowing that everything in that bag, for them or their family, they’ll be able to eat.”
For many individuals and families, the challenges they face extend beyond food insecurity. That’s why the Uniting Vic.Tas food pantries play an important role as a first point of connection to further support services.
“Some of the people who come to us for food have bigger issues,” explains Uniting Vic.Tas Emergency Relief Volunteer, Birjees. “Based on their needs, we refer them to other services: mental health, homelessness, family services or financial counselling.”
Food donations through the Food For Families program help ensure Uniting Vic.Tas can continue supporting people not just with food, but with access to the right services at the right time.
“Anything you can put towards emergency relief is valuable,” Ella says. “That bag of pasta or laundry powder … that’s going directly to someone who needs it and can’t afford it. It’s going to really impact someone and make their struggles a little less hard.”
Help people in need today. Your food donations help keep pantries stocked, give people the dignity of choosing their own food, and ease everyday pressures for families and individuals doing it tough.
More details here or email FoodForFamilies@unitingvictas.org.au
