Community support programs helping residents cope with cost of living pressures in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt are experiencing an uptick in demand, particularly across the festive period.
Seven years ago, Sister Sahaya Arockiasamy started the Divine You support service in Narrogin, 200 kilometres south-east of Perth, to help struggling families with emergency food assistance.
It has since expanded with an increase in demand, and now assists hundreds of people each week.
“We used to go to Coles once a week to go and collect for SecondBite,” Sister Arockiasamy said.
“Now seven days a week we pick up food and use it for emergency assistance.”
SecondBite supplies food to the Narrogin support service. (ABC Great Southern: Rosemary Murphy)
The service provides free community meals every Saturday, and distributes emergency food relief locally and to other parts of the Wheatbelt.
“People are struggling, the cost of living is very high for them,” she said.
“At least some food can help them.”
The organisation is holding a free Christmas lunch this year, with dozens of people expected to attend.
Christmas concerns
Research commissioned by the Salvation Army found almost half of Australians were worried about how they will afford the festive period this year.
Salvation Army WA’s Warren Palmer said it was a particularly challenging time amid continued high rents and cost of living pressures.
“There are many sacrifices that people are having to make, such as medication, food,” he said.
“Many are turning to temporary debt relief through the buy now, pay later schemes.
“One of our greatest concerns with Christmas is as spectators people do not feel that they can participate just because of what they have or don’t have in their back pocket.”
Volunteers helping out at Divine You in Narrogin. (ABC Great Southern: Rosemary Murphy)
A recent survey from advocacy group Everyone’s Home found 41 per cent of WA respondents were skipping meals while 39 per cent were avoiding going to the doctor, or other essential appointments, in order to pay rent or their mortgage.
Narrogin Lions Club’s Kim Derbyshire is one of the volunteers that helps unload the truck of food delivered each week.
“The thing that amazes me is — and you’ve seen the amount of material we’ve unloaded this morning — next week we’ll come along to do another load and this place will be empty,” he said.
Community-led approach
In nearby Pingelly, volunteers like Dani Summers have set up an informal information page titled Pingelly Food Relief.
Residents in Pingelly carried out a recent hamper drive. (ABC Great Southern: Rosemary Murphy)
“It’s essentially a network to share information on the activities that already happen in the community where people’s efforts are contributing to food security,” she said.
Modelling in the latest cost of living report from the Western Australia Council of Social Services showed single-parent families were falling short of covering the cost of basics by $90 a week, while the shortfall for renting pensioners was $70.
Sister Sahaya Arockiasamy credits the local community with supporting her efforts. (ABC Great Southern: Rosemary Murphy)
The report said rent was a key financial pressure across the state, but the cost of food, fuel and transport were often more in regional areas outside of Perth.
Ms Summers said sharing produce from community or personal gardens can help alleviate those pressures.
“There are so many efforts that community members can contribute that actually do enhance a community’s ability to really take care of itself,” she said.
Pingelly volunteers have also carried out a recent hamper drive, with the goods to be delivered in the lead up to Christmas.