Perth community centre Sudbury Community House has stepped up its support for the growing number of Indigenous families struggling with food insecurity and financial hardship.
Its new initiative, Project Dignity, was an emergency relief service providing essential food, clothing and hygiene supplies to support people in real need.
Last year it distributed a massive 20,688kg of food relief to 2586 families, including 10,344 individuals, of which 2603 were children aged under 14 and about a third Indigenous.
The new data from SecondBite Research Food Insecurity showed nearly half (48 per cent) of Australians admitted to cutting back on skipping at least one meal a week, due to economic and financial reasons, while almost one in six (15 per cent) cut back on or skipped five meals or more a week.
Project Dignity was conceived during the past 18 months after rising cost-of-living pressures were identified locally, and is served by volunteers and staff of Sudbury Community House.
The food delivery service has been supported by SecondBite and OzHarvest WA, and Mettle Women Inc, whose collaboration with Sudbury empowers women impacted by family violence to engage with Project Dignity to help progress their independence.
Well-known Perth celebrity butcher Vince Garreffa, from Mondo Warriors, also raised more than $40,000 for various project operational costs last year via a food event.
"Kids and families are hungry and doing it tough right now," said Mike Dixon, CEO of Sudbury Community House.
"We've transformed Project Dignity to now provide high-quality food and basic essentials to children and families at local early learning centres, schools and youth centres in Perth's most health-disadvantaged suburbs in the north metro region.
"We're doing our best to help children, young people and families grow up healthier but we need more help, as there is a huge demand for the food and supplies."
He said Sudbury Community House was calling for more solid, ongoing support from the community and local, state and federal governments to enable Project Dignity expand its operations, with healthy food shown to improve education outcomes for children.
"Out here, in the northern suburbs of Perth, we are seeing many hard-working families just one payment away from losing their accommodation and they simply can't afford to put food on the table, or in the lunchbox," Mr Dixon said
Project Dignity was currently not a recipient of any government funding, with Sudbury Community House funding the initiative with limited support from staff and volunteers, despite the huge need within the area for good-quality, affordable food supplies.
"When you hear of families having to steal food to get by, and some children missing school due to the shame of not having food, you have to do something," Mr Dixon said.
Project Dignity's innovative engagement design also helped vulnerable women and disengaged youth, through various project roles, improve their employability skills and connection to community, with many employed to assist with food deliveries.
"We've created a social engine through purposefully involving people in need – within the food supply process – to help them regain confidence, develop employment skills and reconnect to community," Mr Dixon said.
Girraween Senior High School was one organisation connected to Project Dignity, with school chaplain Helen Hames spending much time there preparing food for hungry students, to aid their educational opportunities.
"Many of the kids at school have told me their parents are not buying fruit anymore because they can't afford it," she said.
"We get fruit and vegetables from Sudbury House and that goes straight out to the kids … Pretty much any fruit we get, it's gone straight away."
Jody Rynski, a community support worker at nearby Nollamara Primary School, said the need to feed children had increased significantly as families struggled with cost-of-living pressures.
"Being able to support children and families in this way positively impacts their wellbeing, and ability to engage in learning at school," she said.
"Our partnership with Sudbury House has greatly increased our capacity to really make a difference."
Kids First Australia WA State Manager Daniel Pisani said he was sincerely appreciative for the invaluable collaboration between Sudbury Community House and Kids First Australia on the Project Dignity food relief program.
"By providing essential resources such as food, you are not only meeting the basic needs of individuals but also supporting their pathways to overcoming adversity and enhancing their life trajectories," he said.
"Meeting basic needs in life is fundamental to fostering resilience and enabling individuals to thrive."
Mr Pisani said Sudbury Community House's dedication to ensuring communities had access to nutritious food was crucial to addressing these immediate challenges, and creating a foundation for long-term success.
"In relation to the young people we serve, having reliable access to food through your program alleviates one significant source of stress and uncertainty in their lives," he said.
"This stability allows them to focus on other aspects of their development, such as education, personal growth, and building positive relationships."
SecondBite CEO, Daniel Moorfield said despite the efforts of many volunteers, charities, businesses, and governments, food insecurity across Australia was still rising.
"Our partnership with Sudbury allows us to reach people experiencing financial hardship and at risk of falling through the cracks, often making impossible choices between keeping a roof over their heads or food on the table," he said.
"By providing quality food free of charge, they can allocate funds and resources towards other important services and essentials like housing and utilities.
"As we see through Project Dignity, it's about more than satisfying hunger ... it's also about connection, hope and dignity … and anyone struggling to cover their food needs should reach out for support."