Logan families are feeling the pinch of cost-of-living increases as children across the city head back to school this week.
Rising interest rates, soaring rents, and now back to school supplies –Â it seems the costs are endless.
For local mum Zoey Mughelli, it’s a juggling act to balance the finances.
“Financially, it’s a struggle right now,” Ms Mughelli said.
She said the Christmas period was especially tough and she was concerned about affording school essentials for her two children, Rohan in Year 3 and Serenity in Year 5.
“I’ve been struggling – I’ve got kids’ birthdays on either side of Christmas,” Ms Mughelli said.
“And the price of everything is going up.
“I’ve only just received a lease renewal, and my rent has gone up $80 a week – that’s $80 I don’t have.”
A new survey conducted by children’s charity The Smith Family has shown 90 per cent of parents are worried they won’t be able to afford back to school essentials.
Tanya Glancy from Kids4Kids Foundation, a Logan-based charity that gifts school supplies to struggling families, said the survey’s results were no surprise.
“With the amount of phone calls and enquires we’ve had this year, we’ve had to create a waitlist because we couldn’t meet demand,” Ms Glancy said.
“We just can’t fulfil every item on the booklist, but we’re trying to stretch our donations so we can give every child an essential for school.”
Kids4Kids will help 1000 families this year alone.
Ms Mughelli’s family is one of them.
“Kids4Kids means a lot to us, especially at the moment being in a financial hardship position – it means so much,” Ms Mughelli.
“It’s a life saver for us.”
Ms Glancy said the affordability crisis was so severe other charities had come to Kids4Kids asking for support.
Just last Friday, there was queue of locals lining up to receive free equipment from Kids4Kids that extended past the doors.
Since the charity was established seven years ago, Kids4Kids has donated supplies to around 5000 families.
It began when Ms Glancy’s son, Samuel, was nine.
“He met a mum and two boys who had been through DV,” Ms Glancy said.
“We took some food to their house – they didn’t have any beds, or food, or christmas presents.
“So when it came to going back to school, Samuel had some leftover supplies and thought of those two boys.”
After he helped the boys, Samuel began helping schools.
It started with only two schools, but quickly spread to 13.
“Fast forward to today, we’ve given over 135,000 school supplies… and looking at the school supplies we’ve got today, we’re going to help about 1000 families this year.”
Those seeking assistance can visit kids4kidsfoundation.org.au.
