‘We are not immune from the impacts’
One in eight people in Australia are living in poverty and two million households in Australia have experienced severe food insecurity over the last 12 months.
Many families in our community will not have dinner tonight or bread for their children’s lunches tomorrow. Many will not have a warm bed to sleep in and many will not be able to afford the medicine they so desperately need. Our community is not immune from the impacts of the cost-of-living crisis.
According to the Australian Council of Social Service’s (ACOSS) most recent report, one in eight people in Australia (including one in six children) are living in poverty. The Foodbank Hunger Report 2022 stated that over two million households (21 per cent) in Australia have experienced severe food insecurity over the last 12 months.
Working Australians are experiencing the highest annual jump in the cost of living on record according to new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Currently 64 per cent of Australians experiencing food insecurity actually have a job, with 37 per cent in full-time employment.
This is compounded by the lack of public, social and affordable housing. Families in our community are struggling to keep a roof over their heads as rental prices soar. Community Housing Industry Association Victoria analysis found that since rates started increasing, the median weekly asking rent in some areas of Melbourne has risen by up to 22.3 per cent.
The National Debt Helpline has seen a 30 per cent increase in calls in the first three months of this year compared to last. Lifeline has identified that 80 per cent of calls now relate to cost-of-living pressures. As people struggle to afford the medical and financial support they need, we are seeing an escalation in the mental health crisis.
The Melbourne Jewish Charity Fund (MJCF) has recorded a 26 per cent increase in demand for support for general living costs over the last 12 months. This is combined with a 23 per cent increase in requests for support for medical expenses, including allied health appointments and dentistry costs.
Over the past year, our client base has expanded to include fully employed and middle-class families who have never before experienced financial strain and are reaching out for urgent support.
Poverty can be indiscriminate, simply a consequence of falling on hard times or of life throwing an unexpected curveball. Many families who have previously been financially secure can suddenly find themselves overwhelmed and destitute when faced with illness, unforeseen redundancy or family violence.
For Jane*, feelings of stress reached a tipping point when her husband was diagnosed with a serious illness. Already struggling to meet their monthly budget, the family’s difficulties were compounded when he was forced to give up work and was not eligible for income insurance. Jane turned to the MJCF for urgent support to pay her bills. “The help we got from MJCF allowed us to concentrate on being a support for my very ill loved one. It allowed him to get medical treatment and not worry about the day-to-day financial pressures. We would not have got through this awful time in our lives without the MJCF.”
Life for Stacey* took a desperate turn when she was faced with caring for a son with a life-threatening illness. “The period of our lives when we first sought assistance from MJCF was one of profound struggle and uncertainty. Our son, facing a life-threatening illness presenting with unique disabilities, demanded care that was beyond our financial capabilities. MJCF was like a beacon of hope in a storm. They provided the necessary support funding which enabled us to access essential services, therapy and equipment needed for our son’s development and wellbeing. They helped to alleviate the financial burdens that were consuming our family, allowing us to focus on our son and each other.”
Loren*, a mother of two young children, found herself unable to cope emotionally and financially after the loss of her husband. “I work part time and could not work longer hours as I was raising two small children. Finances became tight after a while and MJCF was brought to my attention. They were immediately able to help me buy my son a computer for school as well as help me with the costs of his therapy sessions.” MJCF also provided shoe vouchers for her children. “To be able to take the children to choose a new pair of shoes is literally one of the highlights of the chagim. To be able to relieve the mental load that a single mother already has on her by providing food vouchers, shoe vouchers and financial help when needed is the ultimate gift you could ever give anyone.”
For families like these, MJCF’s support restores dignity, and enables them to cope with challenges that otherwise seem insurmountable. But perhaps the ultimate gift we give families like Jane’s, Stacey’s and Loren’s – is hope.
Yoni Paluch is CEO of the Melbourne Jewish Charity Fund, which works directly with those in need, providing immediate financial assistance to reduce homelessness, vulnerability and restore dignity into people’s lives.
* Names have been changed to protect privacy.
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