One in five Australians – about five million people – are currently unable to meet their basic food needs, including a growing number of working families, according to the nation’s leading food rescue charity.
The dire statistic from SecondBite comes as its winter appeal, in partnership with Coles, kicks off on Wednesday, calling on shoppers to donate $2 at the checkout.
SecondBite acting CEO Lucy Coward said each donation would help the charity provide up to 10 meals for families in need.
She said those needing food support were often working families who, before recent increases in cost of living pressures, typically wouldn’t seek assistance.
“Every aspect of life costs on average seven per cent more,” Ms Coward said.
“So by the time you’ve got down to paying for food after you’ve paid for electricity, fuel and all the other things, for many families, there’s just nothing left.
“Or they’re choosing a couple of meals a day, but not three meals a day, or the kids are eating but mum and dad aren’t.
“With each $2 donation, genuinely we’re able to rescue food and redistribute it at 20 cents a meal.”
SecondBite rescues excess food from retailers, growers and manufacturers, providing it free of charge to 1100 charities and non-profit organisations across the country.
Ms Coward said the demand for food assistance had surged, resulting in waiting lists for some of their charity partners. This means people in need are going days without food.
“Some of our agencies are telling us that if we gave them 50 per cent more in terms of food that wouldn’t even touch the sides,” she said.
“It means that either you spread things thinner or somebody goes without in order to give more to one group.”
Melbourne mother of three Adrianne (surname withheld) said her family faced homelessness after her husband lost his job due to the pandemic.
“We lost everything, we had to sell our furniture and move out because we couldn’t pay the rent,” she said.
“We stayed with some family friends for a short time and then we lived in our car for two weeks … and we used public barbecues to cook our food.
“We were homeless and it was terrifying.”
Through The House of Refuge, they received shelter and food from SecondBite’s food pantry, which allowed her husband to find work and secure housing.
However, their financial struggles persisted due to the high cost of living.
“We live off $1200 a week and more than a third of that goes on rent,” Adrianne said.
“The cost of everything has gone up so much, making it hard to get by.
“Without food from SecondBite, I’d have to sacrifice paying a bill to buy groceries and I don’t want to do that.
“I don’t want my children to ever have to sleep in a car again.”
Penny Fowler, News Corp Australia’s community ambassador is a dedicated advocate of SecondBite and has been an ambassador in 2011, actively supporting the cause ever since.
“In the face of community-wide economic challenges, where the cost of living pressures weigh heavily on so many, SecondBite’s work has never been so important. Their remarkable and innovative food rescue efforts in Australia provide nourishment and dignity to those in need, while also addressing pressing issues of sustainability.
“With a simple $2 donation, SecondBite can supply 10 meals to Australians grappling with uncertainty about where their next meal will come from, making a tangible difference in the fight against food insecurity.”
Coles partnered with SecondBite in 2011 and has since provided the equivalent of 200 million meals to those in need.
“Our partnership today goes beyond donating food and fundraising,” Coles general manager of corporate and Indigenous affairs Sally Fielke said.
“We connect SecondBite to key suppliers who are also seeking to reduce food waste and support vulnerable people in their community.”
In June, SecondBite, received a $500,000 Coles Nurture Fund grant to purchase critical equipment for its five warehouses across Australia.
The grant will enable SecondBite to rescue up to an additional three million kilograms of food from landfill, providing up to six million additional meals to food insecure Australians every year.
Buy a $2 donation card or make a donation at Coles supermarkets until Tuesday, July 25, or any Liquorland, First Choice Liquor or Vintage Cellars store until Tuesday, August 1.