Foodbank report reveals over 700,000 meals needed in Bankstown

FOODBANK has just released its 2017 Hunger Report that shows 392,904 meals will be needed in Bankstown over the next 12 months — the fifth highest demand in NSW. Find out why.

Foodbank released its 2017 Hunger Report today that shows a growing hunger problem in Australia and here in Bankstown. Picture: Mathew Farrell

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MORE and more people are going to bed hungry in Bankstown because of a rising cost of living, latest figures reveal.

Yesterday, Foodbank released its 2017 Hunger Report that showed 15 per cent of Australians do not have food security.

In Bankstown, 365,000 meals have been delivered in the past financial year to hungry residents.

Another 392,904 meals will be needed in Bankstown over the next 12 months — the fifth highest demand in NSW.

Across the southwest, Fairfield had the third highest demand in the state for food donations — with 468,100 meals needed in the next year to meet demand.

In Liverpool, another 229,800 meals will be needed in order to keep people from going hungry.

Foodbank’s 2017 Hunger Report.

The report paints a tragic picture where people are having to decide whether to buy food, or pay their bills.

“With basic necessities becoming more and more expensive, we are seeing an increasing number of people falling into food insecurity and making difficult decisions around whether to ‘heat or eat’,” said Foodbank NSW and ACT executive general manager, John Robertson.

“Two in five food insecure Australians have not paid bills in order to have enough money to buy food.”

The report, that surveyed welfare agencies around Australia, also showed that 48 per cent of those struggling to feed themselves and their families are actually employed.

Paul Jabez, senior minister for church group iShine, came from India 25 years ago and has worked in Calcutta — one of India’s poorest cities.

iShine senior minister Paul Jabez believes the rising cost of living, addiction and unforeseen medical costs have all contributed to people being unable to afford their next meal.

Mr Jabez founded iShine five years ago and regularly puts on food events in Padstow and Panania.

He says he has found there are three main reasons why people are going hungry — bills, addiction and unforeseen medical costs.

“There is one man who has Weet-Bix in the morning, at lunch and at dinner,” Mr Jabez said.

“He broke up with his family and has addiction issues and all he can make is Weet-Bix and milk.”

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Foodbank’s report also showed that since 2016, the number of people requiring assistance in NSW has jumped by 10 per cent.

Nationally, charities are forced to turn away 65,000 people every month due to lack of food.