Jennifer Pittorino
The Yarraville-based Foodbank Victoria is receiving 57,000 requests for food assistance every single day.
Foodbank’s Matthew Tilley said the extreme numbers are purely due to the increasing cost of living crisis.
“They are working families, a lot of them have donated to us before and now they are the ones needing help,” he said.
“We see the number of people bounce and jump directly with interest rate heights.
“At the start of the year we were feeding 50,000 a day; the most recent counts are showing significant jumps.”
Foodbank Victoria has been in operation for nine years, but Mr Tilley has seen a 50 per cent growth in the last two years.
“Usually we spent $50,000 a year on supplementary foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables, this year we have spent $5.2 million,” he said.
“Fresh fruit and vegetable inflation has increased immensely.”
An Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) report released in April showed prices rose for all food categories in the past quarter, with the strongest rises for non-alcoholic beverages, food products and fruit and vegetables.
The report also found the annual rise in gas prices of 26.2 per cent is the largest on record, reflecting this past quarter’s rise.
“We think it will get worse for people with the winter period, we know power bills and heating bills increase and become a real tipping point for people,” Mr Tilley said.
“People all of a sudden can’t pay one bill, they tip over once and they can’t catch up.”
Mr Tilley said Foodbank Victoria is seeing such huge numbers because food is the one and only bill you can compromise on.
“You can come to us for food but you can’t go to a petrol bank, every other bill you have to pay,” he said.
“There is also a rental crisis, people are having to move further away from their jobs meaning they have to spend more on petrol, something needs to change.”
Details: www.foodbank.org.au/support-us/make-a-donation/donate-funds/?state=vic
