Demand for a twice-weekly free community meal program has almost doubled in a year as residents across Melbourne's bayside suburbs feel the pinch.
An initiative of Bayside Community Care, Matt's Place has been providing food relief to anyone facing difficulty since it was established 16 years ago.
General manager Sandra Cavallo said demand had increased a staggering 91 per cent in January and February with expectations winter would only compound the need.
"We are seeing the impact of rising housing costs, rental shortages, and increasing financial pressures," Ms Cavallo said.
"Homelessness is becoming a reality for some individuals who are unable to make ends meet, while families are going without the essentials needed to stay happy and healthy.
"At Matt's Place we are seeing this impact more than ever."
In all, there has been a 39 per cent increase in attendance across both sites at Cheltenham and Chelsea in January and February.
Matt's Place Cheltenham has seen an 84 per cent increase in attendance in the March quarter compared with the same time last year.
Demand for food hampers also spiked by 91 per cent for the same period, steadying at 60 per cent for the March quarter.
Volunteers in the engine room
First established by the Kingston Interchurch Council, Matt's Place is now managed by the benevolent arm of Melbourne's Bayside Church.
Ms Cavallo credited the service's army of volunteers for helping continue to meet the ongoing demand.
It comes as Volunteering Australia has called on more support for volunteer-based community services as part of National Volunteer Week.
Its report — Australia's Invisible Workforce: The Crucial Role of Volunteers in Supporting our Nation — underlines the critical need for a targeted approach.
'These are people who have never needed it before'
Volunteering Australia chief executive Mark Pearce said the spike in demand for services like Matt's Place was not a seasonal trend.
"We are seeing, as a function of the cost-of-living crisis, really significant demand for volunteers to meet community need," Mr Pearce said.
"For people heading to food banks, looking for financial counselling, or who are in need of assistance — these are people who have never needed it before.
"You can't say this is a seasonal thing … it is unprecedented demand for volunteers to meet community needs."
He said the National Strategy for Volunteering, released in February, laid out a 10-year blueprint to better resource volunteers nationwide.
"Appropriate strategic resourcing of volunteering is absolutely critical as we move forward," Mr Pearce said.
"The one thing that isn't considered is that volunteers are an essential part of the national workforce."
More than 5.5 million Australians volunteered within organisations and another 6.5 million volunteered across communities, he said.
"It's a big part of the national workforce, yet strategically it hasn't been considered as such and, as a consequence, it hasn't been appropriately and strategically resourced," Mr Pearce said.
While funding is sourced through local government grants, church donations, and fundraising activities, Bayside Community Care is now appealing to the private sector to ensure Matt's Place continues to have an impact.
Ms Cavallo said the team's tireless volunteers remained the engine room and heart of the important service.
"Matt's Place remains an outlet for those people who may never have imagined they might need a helping hand," she said.
Volunteer John Tetteroo said the increase in patronage at the two services in Cheltenham and Chelsea illustrated the ongoing need.
"It's more than just food," he said.
"People come for the social interaction and connection.
"We are helping predominantly single people, but occasionally young families who might be struggling financially, could even be homeless, or just in need of a boost."
Sandringham MP Brad Rowswell said pockets of poverty across Victoria included many bayside suburbs.
"If there is a local service that can give you an indication of what is happening in the wider community, all you have to do is look at the people who are lining up at Matt's Place," Mr Rowswell said.
"We are not just talking about people in community housing, but increasingly single parents or others who are struggling to make ends meet.
"And important community services like this simply wouldn't survive without the support of dedicated volunteers."
