This week hundreds of people will form a line that snakes around buildings, carparks and shops toward Maitland Neighbourhood Centre at Rutherford.
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Each person will wait patiently to explain their financial hardships to a member of staff and, hopefully, receive a Christmas hamper.
It’s basic, centre manager Naomi Rees said. Some barbecue chicken, vegetables and desert. If they’re lucky someone will have donated lollies for the kids.
This year 220 hampers will be issued. And while it seems like a big number, Ms Rees said half of those who ask will be turned away empty handed, such is the massive demand for food aid in Maitland.
“We ask people if they got a hamper last year, and if they did we give it to another family,” she said.
“We don’t know what else to do, we could do 500 easily for people who need them. And I want to make that point – they need them, not want them.”
We don’t know what else to do, we could do 500 [hampers] easily for people who need them.
- Naomi Rees
Ten years ago the centre was handing out approximately 30 hampers. Since then that number has swelled as local individuals and families struggle to pull funds together over the holiday period.
“We’re at bursting point. It’s heart wrenching, to be honest,” Ms Rees said.
In October the Australian Council of Social Service revealed about 2.9 million Australians (13.3% of the total population) are living below the internationally accepted poverty line.
“Successive budgets have cut income support payments to those with the least, including low income families despite persistent and increasing child poverty in Australia,” ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie said.
Ms Rees said every year the line for hampers was like the line for food aid throughout the rest of the year – diverse. There was no profile, families, individuals, old, young, parents and individuals were all struggling in the region.
Ms Rees urged the residents of Maitland to donate and support social programs like the hamper drives taking place in the region. More info at facebook.com/MaitlandNeighbourhoodCentre