One of the main intentions of charity organisations is to deliver support to disadvantaged Australians - but what happens when the demand for their services is too high and they can't meet everyone's needs?
The Salvation Army (SA) is trying to raise awareness about this very issue in the lead up to its annual Red Shield Appeal.
On Wednesday (May 16), the organisation released data from a new survey revealing that a concerning amount of Australians are not receiving enough aid.
In a poll of over 1,700 clients, the SA investigated how they were living over a two-week period, asking questions about their access to food, shelter and other daily essentials.
Over a fortnight, 52 per cent of SA clients went without regular meals, with 29 per cent unable to afford to feed themselves properly even once a day. Many struggled financially - 45 per cent had to resort to pawning personal items and necessities to get by and 71 per cent felt stressed about their future prospects.
According to SA officer Major Andrew Craib, the findings imply that a high proportion of Australians are unable to keep up with increases in the price of essentials such as food and electricity.
"The increased cost of living has clearly meant larger numbers of Australians are now struggling to keep up with rising utility bills," he said.
"Many are going without things we take for granted like nutritious food or a warm bed. Many are questioning how they will get through the winter months with what appears to be a never ending increase in the cost of living."
Major Craib emphasises that poverty has not improved over the past year - and is therefore calling on people to get on board the SA's Red Shield Appeal which will happen over the next two days (May 19-20).
This is a national and annual charity event that aims to fundraise enough money to sustain the SA's contributions to the community, including beds for the homeless, food vouchers for the hungry and support for abuse victims, among many other services.
The SA is hoping to raise a nationwide cumulative total of $81.5 million in 2012.
"Our need for funds is desperate. We need as much support as possible to help fund the Salvation Army's social support services. Every donation makes a real difference to help transform lives," Major Craib added.
Thousands of volunteers will participate in the fundraising appeal this weekend by knocking on doors across the country.
