"Rent or food?", a question too many are asking

Anna*, a single parent juggling two jobs, clutches her meagre grocery list: "Rent took everything this week. We'll manage with noodles, but what about my kids?" Her story echoes through thousands of WA households, caught in a cruel vice of soaring rent and empty cupboards.  

The 2023 WACOSS Cost of Living Report shows what we’ve been saying for months: that surging rent prices are pushing households, particularly those on fixed incomes and government support, to the brink. 

Here’s what the latest data means for Western Australians. 

Fighting waste, filling tummies

Think these farm-fresh swedes look heavy? Then imagine what 736,000 kilos of donated produce looks like because that's how much fruit and veg we rescued from landfill in 2023. To put that into perspective, that’s 1,323,741 meals. 

At Foodbank WA, we believe everyone has a right to access healthy and wholesome food.

We’re so grateful to all the farmers and growers who generously donate thousands of kilos of fresh produce each year, helping us to feed change for 388,000 Western Australian households. 

Breakfast at school, 500 times over

For thousands of Western Australian children, the “back-to-school” buzz comes with a worrying reality: the choice between a full lunchbox and school essentials. 

Rising costs squeeze household budgets, leaving little for the fuel that powers young minds. School fees, uniforms, shoes – the list mounts, pushing nutritious meals off the plate. 

But in the classrooms where stomachs rumble, there’s still hope.In over 500 schools across the state, a special program is quietly feeding change, one breakfast at a time. 

Hear from one parent, Emma, whose children access the School Breakfast Program so they can start their days with full stomachs and open minds.

You can nourish hope this Easter

Easter is supposed to be a time of celebration but for 388,000 Western Australian families, it’s yet another reminder of the plates they’re unable to fill.  

In fact, last Easter saw our biggest day on record, with 1,044 families accessing food relief in a single day.  

This year, 120,000 Western Australian children will go hungry. In a country that has enough food to feed its population three times over, this should not be happening.  
 
We need your help. If you can, please consider upgrading your donation this Easter, even if just for the month. Your kindness and generosity make a world of difference to those who would otherwise go without these holidays.