Posted in Faith
‘A single mother with three small children tentatively approaches a Uniting Church Relief Centre for food support. She is seen about once every three or four months at this centre which is deemed to be irregular contact.
She is known to be working occasionally but episodic work and the needs of the children tends to compromise her low income.
The Relief Centre’s Coordinator knows that she is feeling guilty for needing support and also appreciates that she has probably held off coming to the centre for three to four weeks because she thinks that she is able to cope.
The whole family is greeted non-judgementally and provided with a food parcel, plus a little bit extra with some treats for the kids.
Unfortunately, this story is repeated every day and week across the Uniting Church Relief Centres.
Foodbank Australia has released its 2024 Hunger Report today which asserts that 3.4m households (32%) of Australian households are experiencing food insecurity. Single parent households are the hardest hit. Two thirds (69%) are facing food insecurity and 41% of those are experiencing the severest form.
This week in Anti-Poverty Week let us be mindful of the fact that 3.24 million Australians live below the poverty line. Of these 761,000 are children aged between 0 – 14 years old (2019 / 2020 data).’
If you can assist by volunteering your time or help by donating food or money to the UnitingCare SA Relief Centres, then please contact Mark Waters on Turn on Javascript!.
Fast-Facts-Child-Poverty-2024 (antipovertyweek.org.au)
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Paul tries to create some “audiovisual aids” for this big message, which he calls “churches” (a term Jesus used only twice, found in Matthew 16:18 and 18:17). Paul knows we need living, visible models of this new kind of life to make evident that Christ’s people really follow a way different from mass consciousness.
Paul tries to create some “audiovisual aids” for this big message, which he calls “churches” (a term Jesus used only twice, found in Matthew 16:18 and 18:17). Paul knows we need living, visible models of this new kind of life to make evident that Christ’s people really follow a way different from mass consciousness.
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