A Word from Gerry

I’m delighted to share the latest news from Foodbank NSW & ACT with you today. These are stories that could not be told without your support and for this I am so grateful. Thank you!

As we reflect on the year so far, I especially want to reach out and tell you how much your generosity means, to the people we help every week.

The recently released 2019 Foodbank Hunger Report has revealed that, more than 5 million Australians sought food relief in the last year – and sadly, women are 50% more likely to experience food insecurity than men.

The report discloses that the events that make women susceptible to food stress are also different to those for men. Women are significantly more likely at some time in their lives to have experienced domestic violence or financial abuse or raised children on their own for an extended time. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to have been unable to find a job for a lengthy period.

The rising statistics are a startling reminder of the ongoing – and often hidden – impact of food insecurity facing Australians. Alarmingly the report also revealed that 70% of food insecure Australians experience high or very high levels of psychological distress compared to only 13% of the general population.

The face of hunger in Australia is changing. Sadly, it’s some of the most vulnerable in our community who are suffering. Feelings of shame, guilt and embarrassment, tend to act as barriers for people accessing food relief. With the rising cost of living, we’ve seen the demand for food relief continue to rise. Despite assisting more than 373,000 people monthly, our partners have reported an estimated 10,200 people are unable to be assisted each month due to lack of resources.

This month Foodbank NSW & ACT also marked a bitter sweet milestone of 150 million meals by delivering 5,000 hampers to drought affected farming communities across NSW.

As NSW faces the worst drought in history, this was not a milestone that we ever wanted to reach. Our farming communities need us now more than ever and thanks to the support of friends like you we will continue to provide drought relief support.

Whilst the ongoing drought has made all our hearts heavy, we also wanted to share with you some incredible stories of resilience and courage. Beth and Adrian, whose story we recently shared, have had a baby boy and wanted to say thanks for your support in the midst of challenging times on their farm.

We’ve also got an update on Katherine and her girls. You might remember how they were really struggling after Katherine lost her job and became a single mother. Katherine has some good news to share.

As always, thank you for your ongoing support. Together, we can fight hunger in Australia.