Ask Izzy data shows huge rise in searches for food relief due to COVID-19
There have been more than 2000 searches a day from people seeking food relief since COVID-19 shutdowns. Food charities are on the frontline, battling to help people through the impacts of the pandemic – and they need your help.
South East
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Hunger is hitting home during the coronavirus pandemic with an online charity directory reporting more than 130,000 searches – over 2000 a day – for food charities in just two months.
Ask Izzy, a free website developed by Infoxchange, has been running hot this year linking Australians to local support services during bushfires and the COVID-19 state of emergency.
And the four-year-old website had its highest day of usage ever on March 23 – when coronavirus shutdowns took effect – with 15,818 hits over 24 hours from people seeking food relief, Centrelink, employment and financial help.
Food accounted for more than a third of Ask Izzy searches in March and April.
Infoxchange chief executive David Spriggs said the data showed the widespread impact of business shutdowns and job losses across the country this year.
“A lot of the people doing the searches had never needed welfare support before,” he said.
During March and April the website fielded 131,120 searches for food charities, a 79 per cent jump when compared with the same period last year.
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY DONATING TO THE FEED VICTORIA APPEAL
Behind those searches were families, students or individuals whose lives had been turned upside down when social distancing rules took their toll on businesses and jobs.
Helping Hands Mission took on almost 60 new clients in just two hours while Reservoir Neighbourhood House went from helping 500 people a month to fielding 200 calls a day.
Ask Izzy postcode data reveals Melbourne was the hardest hit in Victoria during March and April, with almost 4000 searches for food relief in the area.
It was followed by Geelong postcode 3216 – which covers suburbs such as Belmont, Highton and Waurn Ponds – Werribee and Point Cook, Dandenong, Hoppers Crossing and Tarneit, Frankston, St Albans, Craigieburn, Pakenham and Cranbourne.
Uniting Vic. Tas senior manager community services Cathryn Ryan said increasing
numbers of people who had lost their jobs due to the virus lockdown were asking for
emergency assistance.
“We’ve been seeing newly unemployed people, families, many of whom have been
unable to access Jobseeker or Jobkeeper payments, including migrants of working
visas, international students and people seeking asylum,” Ms Ryan said.
“We’re especially concerned about the increase in demand we’re seeing from older
people who are socially isolated and people with disabilities who have had their regular
care disrupted and people with medical issues.
“Food security is also a priority issue for us with some areas able to access an
abundance of fresh food and others reporting difficulties accessing sufficient supplies
for their needs.”
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) reported an 80 per cent rise in people seeking food relief, with the organisations foodbank helping almost 1000 people a week.
Many of these people did not have working rights and had little to no income, and relied on the centre to be able to feed their families.
ASRC received a Feed Victoria Appeal grant of just over $8000 last year, which enabled them to buy kitchen equipment and trolleys to help them transport food in a safer, more efficient way.
You can help food charities keep up with demand by donating to the appeal.
It helps food charities across the country, whether it is boosting their capacity to store and serve food or providing supplies of much-needed pantry essentials.
So far the 2020 appeal has received more than 300 grant applications from grassroots organisations battling to support their communities as the realities of the COVID-19 began to hit home.
Just $2 can provide four meals to feed a family and 100 per cent of your donation will go back into the community as charity grants.
When the state of emergency was declared Infoxchange sprung into action, updating the website to help people find local COVID-19 testing clinics and access state-by-state information.
“It’s been a huge challenge keeping the information up to date because of the changes a lot of the food charities have gone through with social distancing restrictions, but we have also seen a lot of innovation from charities during that time,” Mr Spriggs said.
Mr Spriggs said Ask Izzy and food charities would be needed to support vulnerable Australians long after lockdown.
“The financial struggles that people will face from unemployment and a significantly weakened Australian economy will continue to place strong demands on food and emergency relief services,” he said.
The Feed Victoria Appeal was founded by Leader Community News and FareShare, and is powered by Newman’s Own Foundation.
You can help people struggling in your community by making a tax deductible donation at feedappeal.org.au
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