PerthNow-Demand for support soars

Demand for support soars as West Australian families prepare for Christmas amid cost of living crisis

Sarah Makse PerthNow - Western Suburbs December 8, 2022 2:00AM

Charity phone lines are already ringing hot with people worried about how to put food on the table and presents under the tree this Christmas, as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite West Australian families. Food support and emergency relief charities say calls for help started in October as interest rates, mortgage payments, petrol prices and grocery bills push more and more people to their financial limits. For those who can, it is not too late to help, with charities still accepting donations to ensure everyone can have access to the basics this festive season. PerthNow Digital Edition. Your local paper, whenever you want it. Give a Feed, based in Victoria Park, is gearing up to distribute more than 3000 food hampers to hungry families to enjoy on Christmas day, with the help of Foodbank WA. The organisation has been distributing hampers for more than a decade, but co-founder Aaron Pitt said charities were facing “unbelievable demand” this year. Peter Rowsthorn, Wayne Smith and Aaron Pitt representatives from Give a Feed, a charity providing food hampers to families in need this Christmas. Andrew Ritchie Credit: Andrew Ritchie/Perth NowThey launched their Christmas operations two weeks early this year to get ahead and have had to spend two extra days packing the hampers due to needing to cap their volunteers to account for COVID-19 rules. “Not only are we noticing that a lot of people are doing it tough, but we are finding a lot more people are struggling to even donate,” Mr Pitt said. “We have been really lucky that we have a lot of corporate sponsors but we are finding that a lot of people don’t have any money left over to help other people at the moment”. Mr Pitt said for people who did have money to spare, a $30 donation could purchase a hamper for a family of four. Instead of buying a bottle of wine or a generic gift, making a donation or purchasing a hamper on someone’s behalf was a great way to give back, he said. “If people can’t afford to donate ... we just ask them to share the message,” he said. “People don’t have to donate money, they can donate their network, just share it within their network and help spread the word to bring the merry back to Christmas.”