By Nicky Sloan, CEO of Community Industry Group
The recent NSW Budget held little to benefit individuals and families struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, and nothing for those grassroots community services that play such an important role in keeping people safe, fed, connected and supported.
I am referring, of course, to Community Centres or Neighbourhood Centres. Those little services that often sit quietly at the heart of a community and provide activities and services tailored directly to their community’s needs.
Families and individuals are struggling like never before, and Community/Neighbourhood Centres report that in recent years they have had to pivot from being a place of connection and referrals to providing urgent practical support such as food, clothing, nappies, bill assistance, and more. From a place where you could participate in line-dancing, yoga or perhaps a playgroup, these centres are increasingly providing the basics of life – and they are not funded for that.
Food poverty, once only associated with people who are homeless, is the new reality for many working families. In fact, new research from the University of Wollongong highlights this growing emergency with food insecurity reaching alarming levels across the Illawarra Shoalhaven region. The research showed food insecurity is particularly widespread among Community/Neighbourhood Centre users, with 73 per cent of adults and children affected. Of this group, 38 per cent of households experienced 'severe food insecurity', meaning people report skipping meals and feeling hunger.
In response, many Neighbourhood Centres are addressing the cost-of-living crisis affecting families in the Illawarra through a variety of food security programs and a range of community-building initiatives. As Cath Daly, coordinator of Bellambi Neighbourhood Centre, points out in our latest Community Matters Podcast: "Food is the glue. There's got to be food, and it's got to be fun!"
Most Community/Neighbourhood Centres receive their main (often only) funding through the NSW Department of Communities and Justice's Targeted Early Intervention Program, and provision of food and other basic necessities is not permitted through this program. This means centres have to be creative in the ways they source and supply food.
For example, Bellambi Neighbourhood Centre's Food Security Program, which directly supports up to 70 families per week, is delivered through partnerships with organisations like OzHarvest and support from Club Grants and individual community donations. Through this cobbled-together support, they are able to provide nutritious breakfasts, packed lunches, pantry items, and safe and supportive spaces for families to connect and share.
It’s a strain to keep food programs happening, but centres are seeing the clear connections between food security and social and mental health outcomes. When families have enough to eat, providers see improvements in areas such as school attendance and overall community wellbeing.
For many years, we have been calling for an increase in funding for these grassroots community organisations, but once again the NSW government has failed to recognise the work they do with funding to keep them viable.
Centre coordinators speak about the "Not-for-Profit starvation cycle," where funding has for many years failed to keep up with inflation, forcing community services to stretch resources impossibly thin. With Neighbourhood Centres relying on donations from an already pressured community, many providers are being pushed to their limits and need to seek support from wherever they can.
So, if you find yourself with time or resources to spare, pop on down to your local Community/Neighbourhood Centre and see how you can contribute to the amazing work they do. Centres welcome community involvement through donations and volunteering opportunities, and offer multiple ways for locals to contribute to this vital community work. It’s a great way to make a difference in your own back yard.
Read the University of Wollongong’s latest research on food insecurity here.
Find out more about Community/Neighbourhood Centres in our Community Matters podcast/vodcasts with Centre Coordinators Danna Nelse from Albion Park Rail and Cath Daly from Bellambi. Community Matters is available now on your favourite podcast platforms, including YouTube, Spotify and Apple iTunes.
About the writer
Nicky Sloan is committed to working to build a fair and inclusive community where all people are valued and enabled to live rewarding lives. She is the CEO of Community Industry Group and has extensive experience across the community services industry. Her diverse work history also includes local government, marketing, the tertiary sector, the finance sector, and owning and running small businesses. She has extensive governance experience and is currently an Independent Non-Executive Director of Warrigal, a substantial not-for-profit specialising in the provision of services for older people; Chair of the Board of Wollongong Conservatorium of Music; and an Honorary Fellow of the University of Wollongong.
