Jenan Taylor
4 March 2024
A Dandenong Ranges’ church foodbank is offering increasing numbers of people a listening ear, as well as food aid, as cost-of-living pressures continue to squeeze them.
Each week volunteers at St Luke’s Cockatoo Food Store load its shelves with fresh fruit and vegetables, and pack the fridges with meat, drinks and snacks.
They aim to help people who struggle to make ends meet access food for free, no questions asked.
The volunteers also encourage people who might be experiencing particularly hard times to feel they can sit and talk for a while.
Read more: The price of charity is going up as foodbanks struggle to stock shelves
Coordinator David Graham said he and his wife Julia ran the ministry that way since starting it because they believed it was what God wanted of them.
Mr Graham said in the last year the food store had a 48 per cent increase in the number of people looking for help.
He said while most were there for food relief, a rising number seemed to be struggling with their mental and emotional health because of increased living pressures.
“They have longer faces than normal and seem to need more cheering up. We’ve referred many to other counselling or financial services, but we’ve had some say that we’re the first people they feel they can speak to,” Mr Graham said.
“We do feel we’re having a positive impact as an emotional support mechanism and neighbour.”
He said many people came to the ministry because they’d been turned away from other charities for not being on their books or having a healthcare card.
Food store volunteers never asked for healthcare cards or what people’s circumstances were because they could be working and still be in need, Mr Graham said.
“Healthcare cards mean nothing to us. All we want is a name, a locality and the number of people they need to feed.”
He said lately they’d been approached by householders who were fully employed but who struggled with food security because of the steep rise in their mortgage repayments.
In February Foodbank Australia said there was a record high demand for food relief across the country, driven by the cost-of-living crisis.
Chief executive Brianna Casey said in a statement that groups who had never before experienced food insecurity were being affected.
Those included young professionals and mid to high-income earners.
Mr Graham said since the service opened its doors in 2019, it operated every week, even throughout the pandemic.
He said its staff of about 10 volunteers, half of whom were parishioners, were there because they genuinely enjoyed being among and helping people.
Read more: Inner-city oasis helps feed hungry at St Stephen’s
St Luke’s congregation member Coral Belfrost said she believed in giving back to the community, and volunteering at the food store enabled that for her.
Ms Belfrost said it could be daunting for people to ask for help, and simply showing them a friendly face could make a difference for someone.
She said she particularly enjoyed getting to know people’s names and what was going on in their world.
“Sometimes you do hear about their problems, and if you say, ‘Would it be okay if I prayed for you?’ they’re happy for you to do so,” Ms Belfrost said.
For more faith news, follow The Melbourne Anglican on Facebook, Instagram, or subscribe to our weekly emails.
