downundercel explains how he can't remember the last time he ate 3 meals. I cannot comprehend this level of poverty in a supposed first world country

OP in case he deletes it

Thought I'd share my experiences with this (embarrassing as it is) in case anyone is interested.

For those who haven't experienced hunger it can be difficult to imagine.

I don't remember the last time I ate 3 meals a day. I'm lucky to even eat 1. But regularly go days without eating.

Then usually have to eat something I hate like tinned spaghetti (I've eaten so much of it I struggle to stomach it these days). But have to because it's all that's available.

Or I eat plain pasta without any sauce, or plain rice.

Ive had to eat really odd things too just to not pass out - like just eating Vegemite straight out of jar. Or when I spent a week eating just a packet of sprinkles (2 yrs past expired).

Recently I bought a packet of mints ($1.50) and ate only that for days straight. Thought I could fool the hunger pains for a bit. Backfired badly though in form of diarrhoea for days, so I learnt my lesson and won't do that again lol.

People say 'call salvos' or 'go to Foodbank'. Like they just give out baskets of free food to all in need. The reality is that's not the case (at least in my area).

Where I am:

• St Vinnie's don't give supermarket vouchers anymore

• Salvos never answer the phones and just have a pre-recorded message saying they 'have no vouchers available in my area' no matter how often or when I call.

• my local food pantry closed down

• Nearest foodbank is like 3 busses, 3 hour round trip at least away. With physical disability this is tough.

• Foodbank - most people don't realise you have to pay for food here in most cases (unless lucky enough to get a once off 'agency pay' voucher). It is not hugely cheap either - tinned fruit is $3.50 per can, tinned soup meal $3/can, margarine $3.50. Not a big saving and no good if you have no money to pay anyway. Extremely limited range, just a few shelves, 1 type fruit if lucky (none last visit, and just rotting plums times before that), most of the food is past used by or lines that didn't sell. But you still pay those prices to buy it. And only have limited amount can get ($30 in my case which was 10 items). Certainly not enough for 3 meals/day.

And all these places have limits like 3 visits per year.

Because in Australia hunger and poverty is seen as something very rare. A once-off caused by an extreme event like flood or bushfire. Not something routine which people deal with on a daily basis.

So there's no real help available.

And we suffer in silence - embarrassed and ashamed.

Because it's treated like it's something wrong with the individual, rather than the system.

The rest of the comments are equally baffling. Isn't Australia like bongland lite with their ridiculous taxes and welfare state?