If you think your weekly budget isn’t covering as much as it used to, you’re correct.

Economists says soaring fuel costs and the impacts of the recent floods in NSW and Queensland, are contributing to inflation and predict the Consumer Price Index (CPI) could hit five per cent next quarter.

And that means we’ll all be paying more for basic necessities, including food.

Greg Thompson, General Manager at PICAL said rising costs will increase food insecurity and that will have a huge impact on those most vulnerable in our community.

“We know that these issues are due to a range of factors including: Covid disruption of supply chains over the past two years (exacerbated by the more recent Ukraine conflict, particularly in regard to the cost of oil); inflation and rising interest rates; as well extensive flooding in northern NSW and Qld crop-growing areas over the past four months,” Greg said.

“Consequently, it looks like we will all soon be facing a significant escalation in the cost of living which will put many basic necessities (including food) beyond the reach of many families.”

Greg is concerned about the impact on the local community and on PICAL’s ability to continue to provide assistance for those in need.

He said as the only emergency food relief outlet on Phillip Island, the only outlet open every week day in the shire, demand for its services have dramatically increased in the past two years.

“We have certainly been kept busy providing emergency food supplies to needy citizens in 2021 and in early 2022,” he said.

“We are currently still averaging around 400 people per month who need help feeding themselves or their families.

“Children still make-up 45 per cent of those who need food relief from PICAL.

“The nature of our service, is that we provide free hampers with enough food for a week for one person, so families usually get three to four hampers each week depending on the number of people in the household.”

Harder times ahead will drive up demand on the service.

“This phenomenon is not just being seen in Gippsland.  We are starting to see media reports, that the same problems are occurring across the country,” Greg said.

He is hoping more people in the community can step up to lend a land, working in the food relief pantry, the cooking teams and the community garden, as well as in the office.

“More volunteers would be greatly appreciated.”

Support

The PICAL pantry is supported by local supermarkets, as well as local producers who provide fresh produce.

The PICAL community garden also provides produce for the pantry and the meals cooked by volunteers.

Greg said PICAL has been “greatly assisted” by the supermarkets and the many volunteers who prepare and freeze hundreds of nutritious  meals each fortnight.

The meals are distributed in food hampers and there are also reheating facilities onsite at PICAL for anyone who does not have a home or facilities to cook for themselves.

“We are indebted to very generous local residents and businesses who donate cash and packaged goods, as well as state government funding, and charity partners like the Food Bank, which provides packaged staples at greatly discounted prices.”

If you can support the PICAL Pantry either through donations or by volunteering, visit pical.org.au or call 5952 1131 on weekends between 9am and 3pm.