'Out of control' cost-of-living pressures drive demand for food charities
As demand for food charities and housing services rise, one family has travelled Australia with barbecues and smokers to deliver low-cost and slow-cooked meat dishes to people experiencing hardship.
A food charity in Broken Hill is reporting a surge in demand as cost-of-living and housing pressures intensify, particularly in regional Australia. Dave Meadows and his family are travelling across regional areas serving meals to the homeless as part of their Smoke and Soul project. In Broken Hill, the St Vincent de Paul Society has seen a 48% increase in requests for assistance since 2022/23, with more than one in four people facing homelessness or temporary accommodation.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data shows regional Australians are experiencing a homelessness crisis at more than three times the rate of those in major cities. Meadows is concerned about the rising housing costs, with many experiencing families living in cars. The Meadows family aims to provide more than just food, encouraging community members to volunteer and showing those in need that they are cared for.
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