Nurses and teachers aren’t able to afford groceries in the cost of living crisis

The line outside this free supermarket in Sydney is growing every week - and the type of people queueing up for food will stun you.

Nurses, teachers and even lawyers are now turning up at food banks in Australia because they are struggling to afford groceries as the cost of living crisis mounts.

Inflation is at 7 per cent, RBA rates have surged to 3.8 per cent, and rental prices have risen across the board.

Suncorp’s recent research found that 47 per cent of Aussies say they can’t afford to fill their trolley with groceries in the current inflated climate and four in five Aussies are actively trying to reduce their food costs.

OzHarvest’s free supermarket is located in Sydney’s Waterloo. It’s open five days a week, and these days, there’s a constant line of people waiting.

The not-for-profit organisation gives people struggling a chance to have access to fresh fruit and vegetables and even ready-made meals at no cost.

Thanks to the increased financial pressure on Aussies the market has turned into a melting pot of people from all different walks of life lining up to access free groceries.

You might assume only homeless people and people on Centrelink benefits would need to access free food but inflation has created a whole new type of customer: the working poor.

The crowd at the Waterloo market is diverse and a stark reminder that it can be easy to suddenly not be able to afford groceries.

Lining up for food just like everyone else is John, a senior lawyer who was in court on Monday representing a client.

He started frequenting the market after he fell on hard times while battling alcoholism, and it was a rude awakening for him.

“It was very humbling coming to a place like this, and I’ve fallen from lofty heights. I was highly respected, there was money galore and two divorces later, and thanks to my drinking, I’ve lost my money, and I’m coming here because I can’t afford to buy food anymore,” he revealed.

“Without the place, I wouldn’t be eating, and the people here are so non-judgmental, and you feel comfortable, and that is reassuring,” he added.

The market has a constant line. Source: OzHarvet

Kat, a social worker for OzHarvest, has noticed a distinct change in the type of people who need help in just the last 12 months.

“We are seeing plenty of professional workers coming in now. Teachers, nurses, lawyers, and they feel embarrassed they are here because they are working, but we say you are welcome because people don’t come here unless they really need to,” she said.

“Currently, it is the perfect storm. People are earning what they were earning two years ago, but now everything is more expensive, and they just can’t make ends meet anymore.”

While Kat isn’t surprised to see people turn up in their work uniforms needing free food, she is absolutely shattered by it.

“The nurses and teachers that come, they do break my heart. They come in their uniforms before or after their shifts, and they just explain that life is tough at the moment, and they are in need and are looking for some relief.”

Specific stories stick out to Kat and drive home the reality of what happens when suddenly everything is more expensive.

“Recently, I had a teacher arrive. She was wearing a school shirt, and she explained she worked at the school as a teacher four days a week. She’d recently been divorced, had three kids to take care of, and was struggling to provide for them on her salary in Sydney and so she came here,” Kat shared.

Kat is a dedicated social worker. Source: news.com.au

Fran is a uni student just trying to get by. Source: news.com.au

Fran is an international student currently completing a Master of Business, working part-time, and completing an unpaid internship.

The food bank has become a godsend thanks to unreliable casual hours and the $350 rent she forks out weekly.

“If there’s a fortnight I have a big bill and my pay is next Thursday, sometimes I know I wouldn’t be able to afford food. Coming here means I can get fresh fruit and vegetables and currently my fridge is already half-empty,” she explained.

Meanwhile a support worker accompanying a client to the food bank revealed she’d started shopping here herself because of the rising cost of living.

“I do get food here sometimes because everything is so expensive! I come here most weeks with my client and I also pick up fruit and vegetables for myself, which makes a difference. I’d save at least $50 just by coming to here,” she shared.

A single mum of four explained that she’d found OzHarvest after googling food relief in desperation because of the increased price of groceries.

“For me to just buy washing powder and milk for the week, it can sometimes cost $50. I constantly feel like I am living on the edge of nothing,” she revealed.

You can donate to the OzHarvest Giving Day Appeal – every dollar donated will provide four meals thanks to matched funding on June 22nd.

Originally published as Nurses and teachers aren’t able to afford groceries in the cost of living crisis