Today is May Day. Also known as Labour Day and Eight Hour Day. In Marrickville we will maintain just a little of the May Day spirit in a conversation between the novelist Alan Fyfe and the poets DG Lloyd and Magdalena Ball at our Addi Road Writers’ Festival.
“If I weren’t in community housing I’d be out in the streets. If I could not get good food at the prices I can here at the Food Pantry I’d starve. I’m separated, but I still have to look after the kids. They come stay with me. How can you sit at a table with your kids and have them say ‘I’d like something to eat’, and you can’t provide it? I’m eating now because of this place. I’m feeding my kids a decent a meal.”
The Australian Council of Social Service have come down to Addi Road today to set up a table outside our Food Pantry and encourage people to send a few Christmas cards to our politicians. It may not be a card they like to get. But every one them is certainly heartfelt, handwritten and true to the experience of everyday Australians dealing with unemployment, poverty and life on the proverbial breadline.
A report from behind the frontlines of unemployment and poverty in Australia, where Mark Mordue responds to a normal day at Addison Road Community Organisation’s Food Pantry.
“If no one panicked, we would all be fine. There’d be enough food for everyone.”
We are catalysing change in many areas… serving our community with our largest and most diverse programme delivery in five years.
“Listening to you and some of these callers there’s a sense of dehumanisation about these experiences that is difficult to comprehend if you haven’t been through it.”
The illusion of trickle down economics is being laid bare. Money does not trickle down, it trickles up! Leading economists and business groups are all coming around the argument that Newstart should be increased – not simply because of social justice issues, but to get the economy moving.
Yesterday, the Living in Australia report was released based on the findings of the HILDA (Household, Income, Labour Dynamics in Australia) survey. We are becoming poorer and poorer as a nation. Deeply stressed; and evermore deeply divided.
Pictured: Tom Studans (AUWU), Bev Carter (Community Member), Pas Forgione (ACOSS), Mark Mordue (Media Adviser, Addison Road Community Centre), Rosanna Barbero (CEO, Addison Road Community Centre), Cr Tom Kiat (Inner West Council).
