Now that we’ve become acquainted with one another (and we’ve slowly gotten the hang of WordPress!), let’s get onto why we exist. We’ve told you who we are and what we do, but why do we do it? What purpose does the HFB serve here in Perth – or even in wider Australia, I’m sure you – or someone you know – may ask? Is there even a purpose?
Surely there aren’t any people in “real” need here. Nobody is going hungry or is unsure of how they’re going to make ends meet this month with the rent, groceries and electricity bill, right?
Well, according to the Australian Institute of Family Studies, an estimated 1.2 million Australians live with no idea of when the next meal will come. That’s nearly 1 in 20. Whether it be due to an unstable income, lack of nutritional knowledge, rising cost of housing and living (and an array of other circumstances and issues), 1 in 20 people struggle with obtaining regular access to food. Foodbank WA provides food to over 55, 000 people every month with demand increasing rather than decreasing every year and…”there’s poverty in Perth?”
Unfortunately, often is the case that the 1 in 20 are either not known about at all, forgotten or reduced to mere faceless statistics and it’s important to remember that the struggling are real people. Real individuals and families just trying to make ends meet. Living in poverty means living in a highly subjective state, unique to each person and their situation – and it’s never the black and white image that many of us hold. Rather, it is one of varying shades of grey, painting the picture of what it looks like to be an Australian living poverty.
The bottom line is: the HFB exists because it is needed.
In 2015, HFB Perth hit an average target of packing 100 boxes of food every month – even exceeding 100 a few times. During the month of Ramadan we ran two packing days and, with the generous support of our amazing community, managed 200 boxes in one month! Managing this only further exemplified that it isn’t far-fetched to think that we can do it every month – possibly even exceeding 200 boxes.
We believe that its our duty to go above and beyond to help in any way that we can and if you are interested in making a donation to the HFB (and yes, even small things like one packet of 1kg rice or flour does make a difference) please refer to our Facebook page or email hfbperth@gmail.com for more information.
Also, please do not hesitate to contact us if you are interested in getting involved with the team in any capacity, or if you have any questions.
Until next time,
Salaams from the Halal Food Bank – Perth Team 🙂
icated to raising awareness about hunger in today’s world. It’s a chance for you and I to stand together with others committed to eradicating hunger. This sounds like an ambitious goal which is why the team amass support from many many parts of the globe. By giving each year a theme, World Food Day sheds light on the many causes of hunger around the world. This year’s theme is “social protection and agriculture: breaking the cycle of rural poverty”. Put simply, the focus for 2015 is on developing support systems that allow farmers and their families to be less affected by poor yields and unforeseen events (like floods). Some practical examples of how this works:
Halal Food Bank - Perth 