Get to know some of the elderly people who enjoy FareShare meals
Times are tough for our elderly people. Instead of enjoying their golden years, many in our elderly community are finding that their pensions are not stretching far enough.
On our charity partner visits, we hear so many elderly people lamenting having to choose between bills and food.
This should not be a choice!
“$2,600! That’s how much it costs my friend to pay for their medication every month. That’s a rare case of course. But I know quite a few people – including residents here – who pay a third of their pension on medication easy.”
Les would know. He has been a longstanding resident at the Port Melbourne public housing unit, where everyone is over 55 and often has an underlying health condition. FareShare meals are available via the Fr. Bob Foundation. You may remember Les from our previous visit here last year.
“When you’re on these medicines, you’re also limited by the food you can eat,” Les continues. “So with FareShare meals, you’ve got to be fairly quick. People here like them because they’re healthy.”
Maureen (Morza to her friends) has been living in this public housing unit for 17 years. During this time, she has eaten plenty of FareShare meals. She is a big fan.
“I have a couple in my freezer right now. I really enjoy them. They’re also very convenient. I like being able to heat them up easily and have something nutritious to eat. And they’re free. What’s not to like?”
Another resident Bryn chimes in: “The best one was your salmon with rice dish, remarkably good. That had a lot of care in it, man! Your roast pork and roast chicken ones were also really good.”
Across town at Dingley Village, the predominantly elderly clientele at Make a Difference Dingley Village (MADDV) are experiencing similar issues. Like many local charities, they are constantly battling for funding.
“Every six months or so, we have to turn people away,” MADDV volunteer Tom explains. “We run out of funding, can’t help people with food, bills, fuel. Sometimes we have a lot, sometimes nothing.”
Unlike many of our charity partners, MADDV does not receive other food. A few local donors drop off essentials. The rest they pay for. FareShare meals are the exception. It’s little wonder that three quarters of the elderly people who frequent their weekly food relief service take FareShare meals.
“Last night I had a lamb stew,” Jeff, one of their regular clients, told us. “It was beautiful, had a lot of veggies. It was loaded with lamb and packed with veg. It was probably the best meal of yours I’ve had. But I haven’t had one I didn’t like.”
“They’re full of nutrition, that’s the main thing. They’re easy too.”
Ted is another FareShare meal recipient. With his wife battling health issues in a care facility, he now lives alone. His wife’s pension almost exclusively goes to her care. Ted’s barely covers his rent, which increased by $50 a week last year.
Lately, the frozen supermarket meals he has come to rely on on have become unaffordable, and he is adamant that their quality has declined too. When possible, he prefers our nutritious, free FareShare meals. Ted particularly enjoys our Mexican chicken and lamb casserole.
“I really enjoy the meals,” Ted emphasises. “I look forward to them.”
Retiree Giuseppe used to be a MADDV client. But for the past year or so, he has devoted much of his time tending to MADDV’s backyard. An avid gardener, Giuseppe loves volunteering there and hopes to transform the modest garden into a thriving veggie garden.
FareShare’s kitchen gardens team is contacting Giuseppe to see if we can help out.
Giuseppe had a heart attack in December 2023, which resulted in three stents being put in. Since then, he has had to be careful about his diet.
“No more Weet-Bix with 10 spoons of sugar,” he jokes. “Your meals are good for my heart. That’s why I’ve been eating them a lot more. I really liked your bangers and mash meal. It’s awesome you put so many of your own grown veggies into the meals too. That’s what we used to do back in the day.”
We conclude with Rosetta, a bubbly, middle-aged woman. She shares with us the profound impact our meals have had on her life as she recovers from a serious life crisis.
Rosetta often struggles to cook for herself. “There are days I feel so low …” she says. FareShare meals have become a source of comfort and nourishment for her.
“It’s like having comforting arms wrapped around me. It’s the way that it is cooked, it is filled with healthy veggies and meat. It feels like it is coming from the heart.
“I live on Centrelink fortnight to fortnight. That’s it. For me to have a whole meal sitting in the fridge is reassuring. I say thank you every time I open one up.”
All of the people we spoke to are in unique circumstances and have unique stories to tell, but they are united by FareShare meals, and the comfort, nutrition, convenience and taste they offer when times are tough. We are humbled by the positive impact our meals are having on the community.
With your support, our talented chefs and volunteers can cook more meals to support more people. Because there are so many more Les’s, Maureen’s, Bryn’s, Jeff’s, Ted’s, Giuseppe’s, and Rosetta’s out there…
