OzHarvest opened its first free supermarket in Adelaide in August 2024. The organisation says the market has so far provided more than 340,000 meals. OzHarvest says it will continue to support as many people and charities as it can — but demand looks unlikely to ease any time soon.
00:00All of this food, otherwise destined for landfill, has been salvaged and given a second chance.
00:13We could pick up so much more food but we only have the capacity of fire vehicles.
00:19OzHarvest's supermarket in Adelaide's inner north provides free groceries to anyone doing it tough, no questions asked.
00:26We try and do everything we can with dignity. We have a social worker on site to support them because we know that food insecurity is not an isolated matter.
00:35For Tammy, who recently became homeless after being evicted from her rental, it's made a world of difference.
00:41It really does pull you through. It makes you feel a part of something, not so much alone.
00:47Jay works part-time and is a full-time student and says he's also come to rely on the service.
00:53People like to think that you're not trying hard enough or you're just lazy or a layabout and you just need to pull yourself up by the bootstraps and try harder and it'll work out for you, which is just not the case.
01:04OzHarvest's latest data from a survey of 874 charities across the country found 77% reported an increase in demand over the last year, with 31% of recipients seeking help for the first time.
01:19I myself am struggling and I see a lot of people around me that are struggling.
01:23It's a growing concern for the charity and the many others struggling to meet surging demand.
01:28As much as what we're doing is really important for people, it would be lovely to think that one day we didn't have to have a market.
01:36But with this market averaging 200 guests a day, that wish is unlikely to come true any time soon.
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