ONE hundred dollars can mean the difference between buying food and making the rent, says a 37-year-old Newcastle resident who has reached out to Vinnies this year for the first time.
"I've been so close to losing my place over $100," said James, who did not want to use his last name.
"And that's the difference. That $100 to $200 of inflation or the cost of living is what's tipping people over the edge. It could be $60. But the real estate agents don't care, they'll just say, 'sorry mate, you're behind, We're gonna have to kick you out'. "
Those struggles were real despite holding down a job for the past 15 years and coming from "a good family", James said.
In general he was able to cover his rent, at $500 a week, but it was a fine line, he said. Sometimes an electricity bill, or bad weather preventing him from working, put him the wrong side of that line.
"I've never had to use St Vincent de Paul before," he said.
"But I find that a lot of people that are my age, even couples who are both bringing in an income, are finding it tough. So I would hate to think how people on social services are doing it."
The St Vincent de Paul Society NSW has commissioned YouGov polling on the pressures households are feeling around groceries, and it found that more than four in five (83 per cent) of Australians agree that they are spending more on groceries than they were a year ago.
More than half (55 per cent) agree that they buy less food than they would ideally like because of financial pressures, and that financial pressures have made it harder for them to keep their household stocked with essential items.
Across Maitland, Newcastle and the Central Coast, members have supported 16,300 people in the past year, and almost 90 per cent of those people asked for food help.
In response, Vinnies is launching a digital fundraising initiative called Hampers of Care, which urges people to donate online to help provide food hampers.
St Vincent de Paul Society NSW acting regional director, Sarah Kemp, said dollar donations allowed for recipients to have some autonomy and choice over what went into their hampers.
"We all have our different preferences and dietary needs, but the hampers will contain general pantry items and staples like pasta, rice, cereals, long-life milk, and some gift cards for buying fresh food like meat and vegetables," Ms Kemp said.
