The St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria has provided $14.9 million of welfare assistance this financial year. 

Chief executive officer Sue Cattermole said the total value of financial welfare support provided in the past three years had increased by 40 per cent, statewide.

“That’s an enormous increase in a relatively short period of time,” she said.

“There has to be an acknowledgement that the cost of living is simply too high for people living on the lowest levels of incomes, and there is a desperate need to review how they are adequately supported at a state and federal level.”

More than 725,000 people in Victoria are living below the poverty line, Ms Cattermole said. 

The Anti-Poverty Week Victorian Working Group co-chair said the collective response to poverty needed to be one of compassion and practical action.

“This is a group effort – there’s no one, single policy fix that will end poverty. We need sustained action, solidarity and we need to open our hearts,” Ms Cattermole said. 

The week aims to create further understanding of the causes and consequences of poverty and hardship, and encourage action to address the issues.

Organisations involved include the Brotherhood of St Laurence, The Scully Fund and the University of New South Wales.

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Foodbank Australia on Monday highlighted the prevalence of food insecurity – an issue affecting 3.6 million Australians in the past 12 months.

It cited bill shock as a significant factor propelling the need for food relief.

Almost half of those struggling to afford food were employed, FoodBank Australia research stated, and people aged up to 37 years were over-represented. 

“The fact that demand for food relief is increasing and our youth are particularly vulnerable, is simply not acceptable,” Foodbank Australia chief executive officer, Brianna Casey, said.

The food drive in Loddon Shire runs from 8.15am – 5pm until Friday at the council’s offices in Wedderburn and Serpentine.

Donations of non-perishable food items are requested. 

Collected items will be dropped off at community food pantries at the week’s end.

Australian Council of Social Service chief executive officer Cassandra Goldie called on the federal government to commit to reducing poverty by at least 50 per cent by 2030.

“The first step government can take to achieve this goal is to raise the lowest social security payments,” she said.