Rising cost of living forces families and residents to queue for The Staples Bag of food at Campbelltown pop-up shop

Families, seniors and people doing it tough have been joining a fortnightly queue to buy a staples bag of food since a pop-up shop opened in Campbelltown.

Staples Bag pop-up shop manager Abeer Naji and volunteer Ume Mahesh at the MDSI Blue House in Campbelltown. Pictures: Simon Bullard

• Family of swans jaywalk on Narellan Rd
• Cops find man who taunts “catch me if you can ya doogs’’

FAMILIES, seniors and people doing it tough have been joining a fortnightly queue to buy a staples bag of food and household items since a pop-up shop opened in Campbelltown.

The Staples Bag pop-up shop is a joint project between Campbelltown charity Macarthur Diversity Services Initiative (MDSI) and Settlement Services International.

MDSI chief executive officer Karin Vasquez said people on low incomes or support were really struggling due to the rising cost of living and the recent hike in utility prices including electricity and gas.

Staff and volunteers prepare to help customers when The Staples Bag op-up shop opens at MDSI Blue House, in Campbelltown, every second Wednesday.

“The first thing to go (in these situations) is healthy foods because they are more expensive. People have to be more resilient so we sought out the opportunity to set up a pop-up shop,’’ she said.

“If this service wasn’t available people would go without, particularly people that are vulnerable.

“People may not have enough money to go around after they have paid for electricity, rent, medications and their children’s education costs.’’

Mrs Vasquez said the staples bag was not a hand out because it was much better for people to remain in control of their lives and for it to be a fair exchange for goods at a subsidised cost.

Anyone who feels they need a bit of help can buy a staples bag.

Customers choose what they want to buy from a range of pantry staples including bread, milk, cereal, free range eggs, meat, fruit and vegetables and they pay up to 70 per cent off the retail price for each bag.

A standard bag costs $20, a family bag is $30 and a vegetarian bag is $15.

All items in the bags are sourced by Settlement Services International.

Mrs Vasquez said demand for the bags was so strong that 70 were purchased at the first pop-up shop on July 26, and 30 were purchased at this week’s shop.

She hopes to expand the service by the end of the year to include cooking classes so people can use the grocery and pantry items they buy to make healthy meals.

The pop-up shop opens at MDSI Blue House, at 127 Dumaresq St, Campbelltown, every second Wednesday from 1pm to 2.30pm.

It next opens on Wednesday, August 23.