By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
A GROUNDSWELL of struggling Casey families are facing an unappetising dilemma – to feed their kids or pay their soaring rent, says a charity leader.
Pastor Keith Vethaak, who runs Transit Food Support in Narre Warren, says hundreds of parents are being referred by school principals to the outreach service for help.
“They are really concerned, seeing students come to school with no breakfast and no lunch.
“We’re finding it’s a huge growing area – parents whose rents have gone through the roof and their incomes have not gone up.”
Mr Vethaak says it’s hard for families – with take-home pay as low as $600 a week – to find suitable accommodation under $400 a week.
The shortage of affordable housing makes it hard to make ends meet, he says.
“People are now lining up outside the building before we open. We just have hundreds coming through.”
On Thursdays, the charity offers up to $100 of groceries including fresh food and vegetables to the referred families.
Hundreds of socks will also be handed out, thanks to recent donations from Berwick’s Bendigo Bank staff and customers.
Some bank staff have also recently helped with dishes and handing out food supplies at the kitchen. They are among about 100 Transit volunteers.
Mr Vethaak says the outreach service helps about 1000 individuals – or 300 families – a week.
The service is packed on Mondays and Wednesdays as it dishes about 200 three-course hot meals – soup, main and dessert.
Transit has had to limit its dinners to one a week per person to meet the swelling demand. It’s enough to help the diners – some who are homeless – to get through the week.
“There’s a large social aspect as people sit down to have a meal,” Mr Vethaak says.
“These people really do care about each other.”
The service has been run by Narre Warren Christian Church for the past seven years. It sources food from charity Avocare and growers in the Clyde and Kooweerup food bowl.
More donations of fresh fruit and vegetables are welcome, Mr Vethaak says.
The service is at 4/3 Webb Street, Narre Warren. Details: transitoutreach.org.au
