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Boom in families, singles needing food support

THOUSANDS are facing the real threat of hunger as the impact of the pandemic and lockdown force people who have never previously needed help to reach out for food relief.

A Belmore-based charity fears the next 12 months will be a time of enormous uncertainty after they were contacted last week by three organisations, representing more than 500 people in the Canterbury Bankstown Local Government Area, who had run out of food.
Community Support Services (CSS) founder Mona Mahamed says they were delivering hampers containing 400 kilograms of food each week but are now delivering five tonnes of food a week thanks to support from Secondbite, OzHarvest and Foodbank as well as longtime supporter Sydney Women’s Fund.
“Supplying food hampers was just one arm of what we do, along with personal development courses, but the need is so great at the moment, it has taken over,” she said.
“We’ve also had to say no to organisations and residents in other local government areas because the need in Canterbury Bankstown is dire.”
Mona said 181 boxes of Qurban meat, slaughtered at the time of Eid, were donated to them from Islamic Relief and brought many smiles to their clients’ faces.
“Our hampers don’t normally contain meat so it was very rare and wonderful we were able to bless so many vulnerable local people with culturally appropriate meat,” she said.
“I am passionate about bringing back the ‘village’ where people feel supported and hope to create a ripple effect through the community.”
Run by volunteers, not-for-profit and non-faith based CSS is on the lookout for a new home and is always grateful for donations.
“If anyone has a neglected warehouse in Bankstown, please let us know,” Mona said.
Any donation (above $2) – whether that be cash or goods – is fully tax deductible.
For info, go to cssvillage.org.au.