In a small building nestled in the suburb of Templestowe, morning sunlight beams onto four sets of hands as they inspect and sort produce. Amidst the smell of teabags and fresh pears, these women are volunteers assigned to sort the groceries that will be given out to Manningham residents in need. This food relief pantry is run by CareNet, a not-for-profit set up in a space provided by Manningham Christian Centre.

Kellie Wishart, chief executive and founder of CareNet, tells upstart that the number of people seeking help has climbed drastically since the COVID-19 pandemic. Even as they move more than 4,000 kilograms of groceries a week, their capacity is being stretched.

“The demand is outpacing us,” she says. “It’s outpacing everyone.”

OzHarvest reported this year that 80 percent of people experiencing food insecurity said cost-of-living pressure was to blame.

Wishart says the cost-of-living crisis is driving more Manningham families to seek food relief week after week. Among those struggling are small business owners and the employed.

“There are a number of people in our country right now that are experiencing financial hardship and therefore food insecurity for the first time,” Wishart says.

The cost-of-living crisis has also been linked to the housing crisis. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare figures from 2022 to 2023 show 295 people per day were being turned away when seeking help for homelessness. The government has tried to address the problem by providing $1.7 billion to homelessness services.

Dr. Darran Stonehouse, a lecturer in social work at Southern Cross University, tells upstart it still might not be enough.

“Even with that increase in funding, on the ground services are still struggling to meet the demand,” he says.

And when it comes to food relief, CareNet are not the only organisation facing pressure. An OzHarvest open letter last July reported that 87 percent of their partnered charities were seeing increased demand.

It’s also not the first time that CareNet have had to adapt to crisis situations. Their greatest growth was after 2020, but then funding for food relief declined after the pandemic eased. Wishart says their suppliers have also reduced their ordering capacity for groceries. In one case their supply of eggs was cut from 60 to 70 dozen per delivery to as few as six dozen.

CareNet are also leaning harder into doing food relief differently, particularly around removing stigma. Rather than being merely a room where aid changes hands, their Templestowe pantry simulates a market experience. Wishart says this helps to lessen shame around seeking food relief. Volunteers set up and man market stalls, letting people choose their own produce. This helps to restore a sense of dignity by providing choice. The design is aimed at giving not just sustenance, but human connection in a time of crisis.

“So, we allow our clients to come and access our service for as long as they need to,” Wishart says.

When there is less to go around, everyone from volunteers to management makes an effort to provide more. Wishart says this generosity is a core value which has set the group apart from others.

But that hasn’t come without sacrifice. Initially, CareNet accepted anyone in need regardless of where they were from, including people from Manningham, Banyule, and Nillumbik council areas. However, more recently, lack of funding means they’ve needed to reduce the area they cover to provide the same quality of care, and today only Manningham residents are still accepted.  Wishart acknowledged the grief of being unable to help everyone but said her team copes by trying to celebrate the people they can help.

“Some of the biggest wins I think are when we see somebody come in, and maybe they’ve lost their job, and they’re really struggling to feed their family, so we support them,” she says.

“Then they start telling us that they’ve got interviews and things like that, and then they go and ultimately get a job.”

Further help is on the way, too, as the Victorian Government rolls out the Community Food Relief Program and cost-of-living relief is prominent in the recent federal budget. Even still, charities like CareNet are bracing for things to get worse before they get better.

Discourse about how to best tackle the high cost-of-living is ongoing, and pressure on families is relentless. But as volunteers refuse to give up their efforts, that load can be made to feel a little lighter, even if it’s just for the time it takes to pick through heads of cauliflower.

Article: Lewis Cain-McAliece is a second-year Bachelor of Media and Communications (Journalism) student at La Trobe University. You can follow him on Twitter at @LewisCM4769

Photo: Image of CareNet employees sorting produce. Image supplied by author.