FOOD INSECURITY & WOMEN

“I’d rather miss out, so she doesn’t have to. She asks why I’m not eating with her, but we don’t always have enough for both of us.” Gen Y single mum.

There’s nothing like a mother’s love… and this is what we clearly see in Foodbank’s latest Hunger Report. Women, and especially mums, bear the brunt of food insecurity.

More than 1 in 4 Australian women (27%) have experienced food insecurity in the last 12 months, experiencing high levels of anxiety, stress and low energy. Mums experiencing food insecurity are twice as likely to feel like a bad parent when there is not enough food in the house (50% of mothers strongly agree compared to 26% of fathers.)

With your incredible support, Foodbank can continue to reach out to more women and families like Mandy’s in the community, making sure Australians don’t go hungry. You are truly making an impact – thank you.

More Information

YOUR GENEROSITY DELIVERED HOPE TO COBARGO

In amongst the stories of heartbreak during the bushfire crisis, there are stories of incredible generosity and gratitude. The small community of Cobargo was one of the hardest hit. Thanks to people like you, Foodbank was able to quickly support this community that had lost so much.

“We just got out with our lives,” said Cecilia Matthews. “We fell asleep while we were waiting to evacuate and woke when we felt the extreme heat around the house. I can’t believe the generosity we’ve seen – so much food and water donated.”

Foodbank CEO, Gerry Andersen visited the Cobargo showgrounds and met the 50 homeless families living in a tent city, waiting to work out what to do with the rest of their lives.

“It’s wonderful to see our Foodbank community pulling together to support Bushfire affected communities and partners like Coles and Bobbins Transport helping us deliver a semi-trailer loads of much needed fresh produce and grocery items.”

Foodbank partner charity, Sapphire Community Pantry was open around the clock to help.

“It’s heartbreaking to see people arriving in tears who have lost so much. These donations of water, fruit and veg, and staples are helping people get back to normal. But there are many months of recovery ahead. Businesses have gone under, people are struggling. We really need the support to keep going.”

Go back

FOOD HAMPERS EASE THE PRESSURE FOR FARMING FAMILIES IN DROUGHT

Foodbank NSW & ACT hit the road in September with one aim, to distribute 5,000 hampers to drought stricken communities across the state.

The drought hamper rollout also ticked over our 150 million meal milestone. Foodbank NSW & ACT CEO Gerry Andersen said it’s not a milestone the organisation wanted to reach.

“We are in the worst drought in history. We understand it’s not going to be fixed in the short term, even if it rained tomorrow,” he said.

In conjunction with The Country Women’s Association and other charity partners, Foodbank were able to distribute hampers throughout the Central West and the Northern parts of the state.

Natalie Quince from Anglicare in Parkes says with the whole of the Central West in drought, most farmers are beyond breaking point. *

“We’ve had some farmers tell us that they have been eating mandarins off their tree for the last 3 days because that’s pretty much all that they had left to eat.”

The five thousand hampers contained premium staples such as breakfast cereal, milk, rice, pasta and sauces, canned meals, tea and coffee.

With no end to the drought in sight, Mr Andersen is urging people to continue to partner with Foodbank in the fight against hunger.

“We’re in this for the long haul with our farming communities but we couldn’t do this without the support of our donors and volunteers who help fund and pack what we give out to those that need it every single day,” Mr Andersen said.

“And to the people who receive our hampers, we understand the mental anguish. Don’t give up, if you need some help, put your hand up, because there are a lot of people who are prepared to help.”

Mr Andersen says the personal feedback and thank you letters coming in have been heartfelt. Many are 4 and 5 generation farming families who have been on the land for more than 100 years.

“Your generosity was overwhelming and the care behind that amazing box of goodies actually made me cry. In tough times like this the smallest things can make an enormous difference. The fact people are concerned and really care is good for our souls,” said one farming family from Armidale.

“Our family is one of many who are finding the going tough and with no end of the drought in sight, we don’t know where we will end up. We have never in our lives have had to accept help and we are embarrassed to have to now. But we do have to survive and need to swallow our pride and be eternally grateful for what others can offer. Any help in the future would be gratefully accepted,” said another farming family from Scone.

Support our farming communities today.

Donate Today

YOUR SUPPORT HAS RELIEVED MY STRESS

You might remember Katherine from our August newsletter, one-minute Katherine was a hard-working mother of five, who proudly saved up enough money to take her family on a once in a lifetime holiday on the Pacific Islands. Fast forward just a few months and she was unemployed, alone and struggling to feed her family.

Foodbank’s latest Hunger Report reveals that women in Australia are 50% more likely to experience food insecurity than men especially while raising children on their own for an extended period of time. Katherine is one of the faces of this harsh reality.

Foodbank NSW & ACT CEO, Gerry Andersen, explained this type of situation along with domestic violence and financial abuse, make women bear the brunt of food insecurity in Australia and much more susceptible to food stress.

“No mother should have to wonder how they are going to put food on the table for their children. It’s heartbreaking and distressing that this is occurring right here, in our own backyard,” said Gerry Andersen.

Since going to the Foodbank pantry on a regular basis, Katherine has been feeling less worried knowing that she can access food and groceries to feed her family. She also started volunteering in the Foodbank pantry as a way to give back for the help and hope that she has received while she looks for a new job.

“Thank you so much for your generous donations. It helps to relieve my stress, knowing that I can provide to my family in this difficult time,” said Katherine.

FOODBANK PARTNERS WITH COLD CHISEL

We are very excited to be partnering with Cold Chisel this summer on their Blood Moon Tour.

Since forming in Adelaide in 1973 and blasting onto the national scene in the late 70s, Cold Chisel has created a uniquely Australian fusion of rockabilly, roughhouse soul, and blues.

For the first time ever, the legendary Australian band will play 14 very special outdoor shows during summer on their Blood Moon Tour. They’ll do gigs on the beach, gigs by the river and gigs in the bush. They will play six venues across NSW and the ACT.

Cold Chisel will be supporting Foodbank in various ways throughout the tour including by way of special auction items and fundraising collections at each venue on the tour.

“Foodbank provides more than 815,000 people with food relief every month around Australia”, explains Ian Moss. “They did that by making use of good food and produce that would have gone to waste otherwise. We wish there wasn’t so much demand for their services but we’re pleased to do our bit to help them out.”

Tickets are on sale now. We hope to see you at one of the concerts!

FOODBANK NSW & ACT HITS BITTERSWEET MILESTONE OF 150 MILLION MEALS

Foodbank is the bank that keeps on giving. This month Foodbank NSW & ACT will mark a milestone of 150 million meals to needy communities. This milestone will be reached by giving out hampers to regional farming communities in crisis across the state.

“This is a milestone we never wanted to hit. For the past 27 years we’ve been sourcing and delivering food for hungry Australians. The farmers need us now more than ever. No one anticipated the drought would last this long.” – Gerry Andersen, CEO Foodbank NSW & ACT.

Mr Andersen personally helped to deliver 10,000 hampers to drought stricken farmers in regional NSW a year ago. Now we are ready to distribute another 5,000, but we would like to do much more.

From mid-late September, the hampers will be distributed through the Country Women’s Association (CWA) and our existing charity partners in drought-affected regions, to then be distributed to farming communities in need. Each hamper contains breakfast cereal, pasta, pasta sauces, soups, vegemite, canned fruit and vegetables.

“Since October 2016, below average rainfall has parched the majority of NSW, with farmers feeling the sting the most, we want them all to know that we are here for the long haul.”

“We are calling on the public to lend a hand, farmers are beyond breaking point. A $30 donation will deliver a hamper to help support a farming family in crisis.”

It’s been more than 12 months since we started providing food relief in Baradine and now one NSW farming family speaks out, about the realities of the drought and how Foodbank has helped to keep food on the table, week in and week out.

Adrian and Beth Worrell have received support from Foodbank (through the CWA Drought Pantry) since Nea (Worrell) began the pantry – originally as a ‘one off’– unfortunately, says Nea, “the pantry has been running ever since, supporting 137 families (approx. 400 people) over a 200km radius”.

“I’m a fifth generation farming family and this is the worst drought in living memory.”

“Because it’s been so long, people now do not have any money, no money whatsoever. I’m worried about the mental health of the men. We need your help, without your help, without Foodbank’s food, without Foodbank’s hampers, without people backing us, we can’t give out and people are going to die.”

Adrian and Beth have 3 children, Jack (14 – who has Williams Syndrome), Abby (12) and a newborn son. Beth, who had brought the only stable income into the family home, has had to leave her role as a teacher’s aide at the local school. Her permanent part-time role does not cover maternity leave. So, their only regular income has also dried up.

‘‘When I got the (very first) foodbank hamper, I cried,” says Beth. “Our property is our life, it’s not something that we can just go, we’re done this is too hard, there’s no rain, there’s no feed, we’ll just pack up and go, that’s just not an option. We just need to get through it.”

“I want my kids to be here for the rest of their lives to continue farming. I don’t want to be the family that had to walk away because we had nothing left.”

“Foodbank has supported us over the last year with food packages but they can’t do that without people’s donations.”

As the drought now exceeds the Federation drought, the World War II drought and the Millennium drought in terms of severity, Adrian says their drought proofing of water supply and 1,100 bales of hay are long gone.

“We used up all our hay nine months ago. Everybody’s doing it pretty tough, two or three years without income, all expense. Every load (of feed) coming in the gate is about 10 grand; it adds up, it’s getting a bit painful now,” says Adrian.

Foodbank NSW & ACT CEO, Gerry Andersen said, “In good seasons, farmers are amongst the most generous donors of food to people in need across NSW. Right now 29% of Australians experiencing food insecurity live in rural and regional communities. More than 33% of all food and grocery items distributed by Foodbank go to these regions annually.”

“As the worst drought on record continues, we must give back to help farming communities survive.”

“In spite of our best efforts, we estimate that we need 50% more food to provide enough for all the people seeking assistance. To try and bridge this gap, we rely on the generosity of individuals, businesses, community organisations, schools and all levels of government.”

Foodbank is Australia’s largest food relief organisation, providing approximately 70% of food assistance to individuals and families across NSW and the ACT.

We are calling on the public to lend a hand, farmers are beyond breaking point. A $30 donation will deliver a hamper to help support a farming family in crisis.

Help our farming families

Did you know that by supporting Foodbank NSW & ACT you’re actually supporting over 500 charities?

And on top of that you’re supporting over 100 schools as well!

You see not only does Foodbank NSW & ACT directly help people affected by food insecurity we also provide food to other charity partners who source food for their programmes from Foodbank.

You might be surprised to learn that over 11 million kilos of food is sourced by Foodbank and distributed by other charities you would already know.

Charities like the Salvation Army, Anglicare, Vinnies and The Smith Family all operate food relief programs with food from our warehouse.

In total 676 charities and 139 schools all receive food from Foodbank.

Every time you support us, you’re supporting so many respected organisations – feels good doesn’t it?

Natalie Kistan from Salvation Army had this to say:

“Foodbank NSW & ACT provides us with food every week so we can feed the hundreds of community members that come through our donors. We are so grateful to Foodbank donors for ensuring the Salvos can continue to serve those struggling in our community. Thank you!”

An Update from Shiralee

Shiralee and her husband John are fifth generation farmers, struggling through the worst drought we’ve seen in decades.

Shiralee was hesitant when she first went to her local Foodbank Pantry. She wasn’t used to having to ask for help. But she now thanks Foodbank supporters just like you for ensuring she could access these pantry staples, which made life that little bit easier during such a difficult time.

Although Shiralee’s town has been blessed with some rain unfortunately, this doesn’t replace the opportunities lost from failed crops and being forced to sell livestock.

Many farmers won’t have an income for 12-18 months’ post drought. Sadly, the damage has been done so our farming families will continue to need assistance for the foreseeable future.

Our farmers are in for a tough few years rebuilding their crops and stock, but with Foodbank supporters on our side we can ensure no farmer is left behind.

Thanks to our supporters, we are on track to send almost 4 million kilos of food to areas affected by drought this year. Just like our Aussie farmers – together we hope that the drought will finally break.

From happy and healthy to alone and unable to feed her family

Katherine’s day always started early, driving from Sydney’s Southwest to Botany where she managed a car rental company.
While it wasn’t always easy maintaining a mix of work and family, life was good.

Sadly, through no fault of her own, things were about to change.
Katherine lost her job unexpectedly, two months later her long-term relationship fell apart.

Katherine has been diagnosed with a chronic condition which has meant she lives in constant pain and is on a long waiting list for a procedure she needs in order to be pain free and healthy again. That wait is even longer since she was forced to cancel her private health insurance in order to provide food for her children.

“I’m waiting for surgery through the public health system and once I do have my operation, I won’t be able to drive for 8 weeks. I’m in a catch 22. I really need a job but if I’m honest about my circumstances I probably won’t get the job.” – Katherine

Katherine has every right to give up, but instead she’s studying part time to finish a diploma in community services.

She’s also volunteering at a local Foodbank Pantry in her area. It’s the same pantry she visits herself to make ends meet when she doesn’t have enough food to feed her family. I guess you could say it’s her way of giving back.

Katherine is a determined, hardworking single mother with a plan to help put her life together. But for now, she still needs a little help.

Will you be there for Katherine whilst she gets back on her feet?

Donate Today

Foodbank NSW & ACT applauds the NSW Government’s announcement of
$8 million for school breakfasts

18 June 2019 – The NSW Government announced today a commitment of $8 million over 4 years which will allow Foodbank NSW & ACT (FBNA) to expand the School Breakfast 4 Health program to an additional 500 schools in NSW.

The additional funding will deliver more than 4 million wholesome, nutritious breakfasts to children over the next 4 years, ensuring that kids are starting their day off right.

The School Breakfast 4 Health program currently operates in just over 140 schools in NSW, with schools reporting its contribution towards increased school attendance, student attentiveness and improved behaviour in the classroom.

FBNA CEO, Gerry Andersen, says: “We want children to focus on being kids and learning while they are at school, however the reality is that it’s more likely for a child in Australia (22%) to experience food insecurity than an adult (15%).

“With these additional funds we will be able to reach an even greater number of children and provide them with a nutritious and healthy breakfast.”

According to the 2018 Foodbank Rumbling Tummies Report, parents living in food insecure households say their children will go to school without eating breakfast at least once a week.

FBNA Chief Operating Officer, John Robertson, says: “The evidence from other states that run similar programs demonstrates not only improved educational outcomes but also improved health for young people in the longer term.”

“Given one of the Premier’s goals is to improve child eating habits and health, the Government’s support of our School Breakfast 4 Health program is a significant step towards achieving that goal”.

The incidence of food insecurity is growing and there is unmet and growing demand for food relief with more than 20% of the population (over 4 million Aussies) experiencing food insecurity in the last 12 months.

FBNA is the largest food relief organisation in the state, underpinned by a simple mission to fight hunger by providing quality food to people in need.