Ms Pitt said more than 1500 people living in the Perth metropolitan area had contacted Communicare in a time of crisis, many of whom were finding it hard to make ends meet or to provide food for their families.
Only 38 per cent of those who were in need were able to receive assistance due to resources available to Communicare.
‘People are finding it hard to manage because the price of utilities has risen over recent years but income hasn’t kept its pace,’ Ms Pitt said.
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READ NOW‘It is challenging for families to keep up and it is very common in these days (to) see parents going without food to make sure their children can eat. We are able to provide emergency relief for people but the reality is the number of people in need of these supplies is getting higher.’
WA Foodbank’s partnership manager David Warren said they were experiencing their greatest growth for families in need throughout regional areas.
The hunger relief organisation, based in Welshpool, reported that 70 per cent of welfare agencies had experienced an increase in people seeking food over the last six months.
Mr Warren said most of the people who benefit from Foodbank WA were people, often families, living on low incomes who don’t earn enough to make ends meet.
‘I don’t think people of Canning are more affected by cost of living pressures than many suburbs of Perth or regional WA,’ he said. ‘However, Canning does represent a broad cross section of the community and there are many families living on low incomes who are struggling.’
– If you would like more information about additional help, you can contact WA Food- |bank on 9258 9277 or call Communicare Inc on 9251 5777.