Charities are experiencing a growing need for food assistance as demand keeps rising.

During the holiday season, charities are facing a difficult challenge as the demand for food relief continues to rise while donations are dwindling due to the high cost of living. Trish Crossthwaite, who has been helping feed the hungry at Wayside Chapel in Sydney's Kings Cross for over 16 years, has never seen such a great need for assistance.

According to Crossthwaite, the situation seems to be never-ending and the pressure on charities like Wayside Chapel is constantly increasing. She compared it to a bottomless pit, as the demand for food relief keeps growing. Crossthwaite first started as a volunteer in 2008 and now serves as the Community Cafe Manager. This year, the cafe has provided 19,248 meals to those in need, but there has been an 80% decrease in food donations.

Crossthwaite explained that the charity has been lucky in the past to have amazing contacts and regular donors, but many of them have had to stop due to their own financial struggles. This has resulted in a reliance on Foodbank Australia for the past three years, something that the charity has never had to do before.

At Wayside's cafe, customers can purchase meals like mushroom soup or Thai green curry for only $3, with options like ham and cheese toasties or desserts for $2. However, as donations have decreased, the cafe has had to introduce restrictions on the amount of food people can buy and has reduced its operating hours. Crossthwaite said that this has made a huge difference, but it was necessary to cope with the increasing pressure. She has noticed familiar faces coming in more frequently, as well as new faces, some of whom even have jobs.

Foodbank Australia's 2024 Hunger Report reveals that around 3.4 million households experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months. Brianna Casey, the chief executive of Foodbank Australia, stated that the demand for food relief is surpassing the supply, and it is no longer just a problem for low-income earners. She also mentioned that one in five households with a median income of over $95,000 per annum are now struggling with food insecurity.

Casey believes that it would surprise many people to know the income levels of households facing hunger. She also stressed the importance of government support, as 70% of the charity's food comes from donations, but it is becoming more expensive to source and distribute food each year. She called for increased investment in food relief organizations to address the rising cost of living crisis.

As the Christmas holiday approaches, Crossthwaite has been raising funds for Wayside's Christmas Day Street Party through their "Donate a Plate" campaign. This event provides a free three-course meal to vulnerable members of the community, including those experiencing homelessness. After Christmas Day, the charity will shift its focus to the new year, as January is a busy time for them. Crossthwaite explained that many people have nowhere else to turn, and Wayside is often their first point of contact. They will need to increase staff and food supplies to meet the demand.

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