Maya – Western Australia

After an injury cost Maya her job, the single mother became one of the growing number of West Australian’s struggling to make ends meet.

She’d never broken a bone in her life and then her car broke down and she found herself wondering about how she was going to buy food and pay the bills.

The little things started to add up, like going to the chemist to buy medicine for her daughter when she was sick. Initially she borrowed money from friends and family to get by.

After expenses, she had very little money left to buy groceries for herself and her four-year-old daughter which started to create a lot of worry and stress.

Every week, by Monday she would open her fridge and think if she didn’t shopping they would “starve”, there was nothing left. She would make meals like pasta and corn and while she was happy to do what she needed to get by, she needed access to groceries for her daughter.

She was referred to Foodbank and recalls the feelings of guilt and shame, but those feeling passed. She feels like she is getting on top of things for the first time since losing her job and is very grateful for the help she received.