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Across Australia, charities are struggling to meet the surge in demand for everyday items – with many people seeking help for the first time.
The chief executive of homeless charity Dignity, Suzanne Hopman, says she has witnessed this growing demand.
“When most people think of homelessness, they imagine a man on the street with a brown paper bag asking for money, but what we know is that sleeping rough is less Seven percent of the homeless, and the remaining 93 percent are homeless people, men, women, children and others, who you can’t see.
Hopman says the needs in the community have grown beyond anything she could have imagined…and it’s often essential non-food items that are the first to disappear as people struggle to find shelter and feed.
“When someone comes into Dignity, they often come with absolutely nothing, and thanks to the support of Good360 and others, we are able to meet some of those basic needs, for clothing, for toiletries, for hygiene products, which can really improve the situation, make someone feel better about themselves and feel a real sense of dignity.
A new study by non-profit Good360 shows that 82 percent of charities say community demand for essential non-food aid has reached an all-time high.
This includes items such as personal hygiene products, clothing, school supplies, children’s toys, household appliances like microwaves, washing machines and refrigerators…and furniture.
Good360 surveyed 500 disadvantaged charities and schools in August this year.
The results show that 60 percent of them saw more people needing help, while 58 percent saw more people needing help for the first time.
Founder Alison Covington says cost of living is the biggest factor.
“Absolutely, the cost of living is the main reason why people are now seeking help and therefore having to make choices. They have to choose between eating, cleaning, or having access to these items, and it’s really crippling that people are forced to make these choices.
According to the Good360 study, charities are struggling to keep up: 65 percent said they don’t have enough donated goods to meet the needs of their community.
Ms Hopman says dignity is part of it.
“Demand has just skyrocketed. We have seen so many more people, many for the first time, asking for help when they never thought they would need it, and we are meeting this challenge as much as we can, but unfortunately we are not we are not able to do this. to currently provide the quantity of products and services we have been asked to provide.
In a bid to help, Good 360 is trying to recover more of the $2.5 billion worth of unsold household items that go to waste in Australia each year.
The organization already redirects unsold goods to charities and people in need, and as demand grows, it is asking the federal government and the business sector to do their part.
“Businesses can donate to Good360 so we can pass them on to the 4,500 charities we support across the country, but we are calling on the Government to also fund non-food relief, so it is vital that people have access to these everyday essential products that they need and cannot afford to buy.
These are crucial measures needed to cope with the unprecedented rise in the number of people seeking help, which is expected to rise further, with 84% of charities saying they expect demand to increase further. next year.
