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    The centre’s volunteer operations manager John Spehr said volunteers believed the increase was mainly due to an increase in food costs, rent and utilities.

Food demand soars as cost of living hits

By Lauren Henry

Demand for donated food for those in financial difficulty has increased by up to 33 per cent in the Wimmera.

Horsham Christian Emergency Food Centre is assisting about 250-260 individuals and families with food parcels each month – an increase of about one-third compared with last year.

Over the past three years, the centre has donated food to the value of $1.2- million back to those in need in the community.



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Clients live in municipalities of Hindmarsh, Horsham, West Wimmera and Yarriambiack, as well as some parts of the Buloke and Northern Grampians shires.

The centre’s volunteer operations manager John Spehr said volunteers believed the increase was mainly due to an increase in food costs, rent and utilities.

“In the Horsham and Natimuk area, we’ve found we’ve had about a 33 per cent increase in numbers this year, and in the wider Wimmera area, because we reach out to surrounding towns as well, we’ve had about a 10 per cent increase in demand,” he said.

Mr Spehr said the centre had never experienced such a significant increase.

“We were actually increasing before COVID, and then during COVID we had a decrease and now we’re right up again higher than what we were before COVID,” he said.

In order to manage the demand for food donations, the centre receives grants from the Department of Social Services and other organisations and people.

“We also receive fantastic support from our local community and local businesses,” Mr Spehr said.

“We are  fortunate to be able to pick up food from our three supermarkets – ALDI, Coles and Woolworths – and also from our local bakers, with things ranging from pies to bread rolls to bread.

“Church of Christ volunteers and Horsham Sports and Community Club on a monthly basis cook pre-prepared meals. 

“We freeze those meals and they’re really popular with our clients.

“There’s also local people who provide us with excess produce from their farms or their home gardens, so we get fruit and eggs and things like that from our local community.”

The centre works with Coles and Woolworths food donation programs, and also purchases food from Foodbank.

Mr Spehr said the centre was also fortunate to receive donations through programs such as Horsham Sports and Community Club’s reverse advent boxes and through schools’ drives to collect non-perishable food.

People can donate to the food centre at donation boxes at supermarkets and churches, or drop into the centre at 28 Firebrace Street, Horsham, open 1pm to 3.45pm Monday to Friday.

“We do need those donations to continue coming in. We are very dependent on our local community supporting us,” Mr Spehr said.

“It’s from their generosity that we are able to continue and to support people at this level, and so far we have been able to cope with the increase of clients.”

 

New research from SecondBite, a national food rescue charity, shows more than three-quarters of Australians, 76 per cent, struggle more financially in winter.

The research, conducted by YouGov, found the most common reason was due to high electricity or energy bills, with those living in South Australia, Victoria and NSW struggling the most.

Ararat Neighbourhood House’s Food Hub operates as a central distribution point for donated food items, including fresh produce, pantry staples and prepared meals.

Manager Teli Kaur said more and more people in Ararat and district were struggling to afford food.

Ms Kaur said people from Willaura, Lake Bolac, Amphitheatre and Moyston used the food hub services at Ararat Neighbourhood House.

“It’s just growing every day – because of this cost of living pressure,” she said.

“We’re helping them and it is just growing every day. Every day we have 16 to 20 families on the list, plus a few walk-ins.

“And we never turn the walk-ins away because we know that if they ask for help, they need it.”

Ararat Neighbourhood House is a SecondBite registered agency with Foodbank, meaning Aldi and Woolworths supermarkets provide food to the hub, which are purchased at a low cost using community donations.

“Being a not-for-profit, we can’t do everything, especially with the food when we’re short,” Ms Kaur said.

“Even though Foodbank is very low cost, there is still a cost.

“Due to a limited budget, we rely on the local donations. And we are very fortunate to get good stuff from the local supermarkets.”

Ararat Neighbourhood House, at 56 Campbell Street, is open weekdays from 9am to 3pm, or people can call 5352 1551 for assistance.

For more on Ararat Neighbourhood House, see next week’s The Weekly Advertiser.

The entire July 31, 2024 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!