Adelaide mother-of-four admits to stealing food amid cost-of-living crisis
A mother-of-four has made the shocking admission she regularly shoplifts to feed her children amid the cost-of-living crisis.
Nakiah* said she feels guilty but blames rising food prices for leaving her with little choice to ensure her children do not go hungry.
'No parent wants to hear your kid say 'I'm still hungry' after dinner,' Nakiah told 7NEWS.
'I feel guilt but at the same time I don't because it's for my children — I'll do anything for my children.'
The single mother, from Adelaide's northern suburbs, is not alone, with Salvation Army data released ahead of the charity's annual Red Shield Appeal showing the cost-of living crisis is having widespread impact.
The Red Shield Report 2025 — which surveyed 3586 vulnerable Australians who had received food, financial aid or material aid from The Salvation Army — found almost a quarter (24 per cent) had eaten food past its expiry date to save money.
It also found one in 20 Australians have taken and eaten food from bins outside supermarkets and restaurants, while a majority of people are skipping meals.
Nakiah said the rising costs of housing and essential services and other basic living expenses meant there was often not enough money left to adequately feed her family.
She admits to shoplifting at least once a fortnight so her children don't go to bed hungry, saying it is her last resort — and it frightens her.
'You walk through (the shops) just watching and knowing I'm about to do something like that — it's so scary,' she told 7NEWS.
'So many people are just brought to guilt and shame to do the wrong thing when they don't want to.
'We can't do this any more, we can't keep living like this.'
Salvation Army spokesperson Robyn Lorimer said many people across Australia were cutting corners to make ends meet.
'We're finding people would prefer to sit in the dark than put their lights on,' she said.
'For some, they're even having to go to a public toilet or shopping centre just to shower because they can't justify the water costs.'
The Salvation Army is aiming to raise $2 million in its annual Red Shield appeal this weekend, to support those people doing it tough — and to intervene before more of them resort to crime.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
7NEWS
3 days ago
- 7NEWS
Catholic Church in Brisbane preparing for major leadership change
The Catholic Church in Brisbane is preparing for a major leadership change, with Pope Leo XIV appointing Bishop Shane Mackinlay as the city's new Archbishop. He will take over from Archbishop Mark Coleridge, who is stepping down after 13 years at the helm of the Brisbane Archdiocese in Queensland. Mackinlay has spent the past six years serving as the Bishop of Sandhurst, based in Bendigo, Victoria. His appointment marks a significant shift for the Brisbane community and for the man himself. 'I'm very conscious that I'm not from here. I don't know the place,' he said. 'I'm going to have to do a lot of learning.' He said he would be stepping into a 'strong legacy'. Archbishop Coleridge welcomed the announcement, praising Mackinlay as a thoughtful and capable successor who will bring 'intellectual firepower to his ministry.' The formal installation mass will be held on September 11. His appointment comes at a time of change and challenge for the Church, with more Australians calling for greater openness and a stronger connection to modern life.
SBS Australia
4 days ago
- SBS Australia
Germany is facing water stress
Independent news and stories connecting you to life in Australia and German-speaking Australians. Discover extraordinary books that will make a difference in your child's life.
The Advertiser
5 days ago
- The Advertiser
Social media-sourced news grows, readers express 'distrust' with mainstream media
How you are reading this sentence - whether from a social media link or directly on a news website - may determine how much you trust it. According to an annual global study of news habits, it is most likely the former. Social media as Australians' main source of news has increased to 26 per cent and has overtaken online news sites (23 per cent) for the first time. Meanwhile, the number of readers who say they no longer trust news reporting has risen to 32 per cent (up 8 per cent since 2016). These figures come from the Digital News Report: Australia 2025 conducted by the News and Media Research Centre at the University of Canberra surveyed 2006 adults. It is part of a global annual survey of digital news consumption in 48 countries, commissioned by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford. The Report paints a picture of growing distrust in mainstream news and the perception of a polluted online information environment where people find it hard to discern facts from fake news. Worryingly, of the 48 countries surveyed, Australians have the highest level of concern about what is real or fake online, with three-quarters saying they are worried about it. This is especially true of social media where Australians see Facebook (59 per cent) and TikTok (57 per cent) as the two social media platforms posing the biggest threat of spreading misinformation. Facebook is still the most visited social media site for news (38 per cent) but other video-based platforms are gaining popularity with almost one-third of consumers saying they use YouTube and one-in-five using Instagram for news. TikTok is the fastest-growing social media platform for news at 14 per cent which is up 12 per cent since 2020, particularly among younger generations. The growing use of social media and the decline in trust is accompanied by a loss of interest in news, and growing news avoidance. Over the past decade, there has been a significant drop in news interest, particularly among women and those aged 35+. More than two-thirds (69 per cent) of Australians say they often, sometimes or occasionally avoid the news. The reasons given range from the negative impact it has on their mood (46 per cent), perceptions of untrustworthiness or bias (37 per cent), and news fatigue (32 per cent). Trust is also an important factor that correlates with people's decision to avoid news. Consumers who trust the news are much less likely to say they avoid it (60 per cent) than those who distrust the news (79 per cent). People who are concerned about misinformation are also much more likely to say they avoid news (71 per cent) compared to those who are not worried about it (53 per cent). This implies that the environment in which news is situated has an impact on audiences' attitudes toward it. While they may not necessarily see misinformation on news platforms, the sheer volume of information online and concerns about false information can lead people to withdraw from news consumption. How can news organisations re-engage audiences who are losing faith in news? While much of the data reflects the decline of mainstream news consumption, it also points to possible remedies for these downward trends. In this year's survey, we asked if respondents had received any type of education or training - formal or informal - about how to use the news. News literacy is a sub-concept of media literacy and refers to the skills that help audiences have control over their relationship with news, alongside knowing how news is produced and distributed. News literacy education aims to develop a critical understanding of news, and how to analyse and assess the quality of sources. In Australia, there are few news literacy programs. However, broader media literacy education has been conducted in primary schools since 2012 after the Australian Curriculum, Assessment, and Reporting Authority identified it as a mandatory learning objective. But, for adults and vulnerable social groups, there is not much on offer. The majority of participants (70 per cent) in our survey say they have not had any news literacy education or training. There is a big generational gap. Only 5 per cent of participants aged 65 or older say they have received any kind of education about the news over their lifetime, compared to more than half of 18-24-year-olds. Notable differences are also found between men (29 per cent) and women (19 per cent), city (26 per cent) and regional participants (19 per cent). More importantly, there are critical differences in the attitudes and behaviours between Australian consumers who have received news literacy education and those who have not. Not only are people with news education more likely to pay for news, they are also more interested in news and less likely to avoid it. While they are more likely to be concerned about misinformation, their knowledge of how things work in an online environment means people with news literacy are not deterred by this because they feel more confident in their ability to discern misinformation. When it comes to checking online information that may be false, misleading, or fake, people who have received news literacy education are much more likely to say they go to news sources they trust (50 per cent) compared to those who have not (36 per cent). They are also more likely to turn to official websites and fact-checking. These active verification behaviours confirm the importance of news literacy education in helping Australian consumers navigate the complex online environment. Combined, this year's data provides a strong signal to policymakers and the news media to educate the public about how the news works, its role in society and how to critically evaluate it. Given concerns about social cohesion in Australia, and the rise of more populist approaches to politics, there is a growing need for citizens to be equipped with news literacy education. With half of people who pay for news saying they have received some kind of news literacy training, increasing media literacy levels across the population also makes good economic sense for the news industry. Digital News Report: Australia is produced by the News and Media Research Centre (N&MRC) at the University of Canberra. YouGov conducted the survey in January-February 2025. The data are weighted for age, gender and region. Education and political quotas were applied. In Australia, this is the eleventh annual survey of its kind produced by the N&MRC. How you are reading this sentence - whether from a social media link or directly on a news website - may determine how much you trust it. According to an annual global study of news habits, it is most likely the former. Social media as Australians' main source of news has increased to 26 per cent and has overtaken online news sites (23 per cent) for the first time. Meanwhile, the number of readers who say they no longer trust news reporting has risen to 32 per cent (up 8 per cent since 2016). These figures come from the Digital News Report: Australia 2025 conducted by the News and Media Research Centre at the University of Canberra surveyed 2006 adults. It is part of a global annual survey of digital news consumption in 48 countries, commissioned by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford. The Report paints a picture of growing distrust in mainstream news and the perception of a polluted online information environment where people find it hard to discern facts from fake news. Worryingly, of the 48 countries surveyed, Australians have the highest level of concern about what is real or fake online, with three-quarters saying they are worried about it. This is especially true of social media where Australians see Facebook (59 per cent) and TikTok (57 per cent) as the two social media platforms posing the biggest threat of spreading misinformation. Facebook is still the most visited social media site for news (38 per cent) but other video-based platforms are gaining popularity with almost one-third of consumers saying they use YouTube and one-in-five using Instagram for news. TikTok is the fastest-growing social media platform for news at 14 per cent which is up 12 per cent since 2020, particularly among younger generations. The growing use of social media and the decline in trust is accompanied by a loss of interest in news, and growing news avoidance. Over the past decade, there has been a significant drop in news interest, particularly among women and those aged 35+. More than two-thirds (69 per cent) of Australians say they often, sometimes or occasionally avoid the news. The reasons given range from the negative impact it has on their mood (46 per cent), perceptions of untrustworthiness or bias (37 per cent), and news fatigue (32 per cent). Trust is also an important factor that correlates with people's decision to avoid news. Consumers who trust the news are much less likely to say they avoid it (60 per cent) than those who distrust the news (79 per cent). People who are concerned about misinformation are also much more likely to say they avoid news (71 per cent) compared to those who are not worried about it (53 per cent). This implies that the environment in which news is situated has an impact on audiences' attitudes toward it. While they may not necessarily see misinformation on news platforms, the sheer volume of information online and concerns about false information can lead people to withdraw from news consumption. How can news organisations re-engage audiences who are losing faith in news? While much of the data reflects the decline of mainstream news consumption, it also points to possible remedies for these downward trends. In this year's survey, we asked if respondents had received any type of education or training - formal or informal - about how to use the news. News literacy is a sub-concept of media literacy and refers to the skills that help audiences have control over their relationship with news, alongside knowing how news is produced and distributed. News literacy education aims to develop a critical understanding of news, and how to analyse and assess the quality of sources. In Australia, there are few news literacy programs. However, broader media literacy education has been conducted in primary schools since 2012 after the Australian Curriculum, Assessment, and Reporting Authority identified it as a mandatory learning objective. But, for adults and vulnerable social groups, there is not much on offer. The majority of participants (70 per cent) in our survey say they have not had any news literacy education or training. There is a big generational gap. Only 5 per cent of participants aged 65 or older say they have received any kind of education about the news over their lifetime, compared to more than half of 18-24-year-olds. Notable differences are also found between men (29 per cent) and women (19 per cent), city (26 per cent) and regional participants (19 per cent). More importantly, there are critical differences in the attitudes and behaviours between Australian consumers who have received news literacy education and those who have not. Not only are people with news education more likely to pay for news, they are also more interested in news and less likely to avoid it. While they are more likely to be concerned about misinformation, their knowledge of how things work in an online environment means people with news literacy are not deterred by this because they feel more confident in their ability to discern misinformation. When it comes to checking online information that may be false, misleading, or fake, people who have received news literacy education are much more likely to say they go to news sources they trust (50 per cent) compared to those who have not (36 per cent). They are also more likely to turn to official websites and fact-checking. These active verification behaviours confirm the importance of news literacy education in helping Australian consumers navigate the complex online environment. Combined, this year's data provides a strong signal to policymakers and the news media to educate the public about how the news works, its role in society and how to critically evaluate it. Given concerns about social cohesion in Australia, and the rise of more populist approaches to politics, there is a growing need for citizens to be equipped with news literacy education. With half of people who pay for news saying they have received some kind of news literacy training, increasing media literacy levels across the population also makes good economic sense for the news industry. Digital News Report: Australia is produced by the News and Media Research Centre (N&MRC) at the University of Canberra. YouGov conducted the survey in January-February 2025. The data are weighted for age, gender and region. Education and political quotas were applied. In Australia, this is the eleventh annual survey of its kind produced by the N&MRC. How you are reading this sentence - whether from a social media link or directly on a news website - may determine how much you trust it. According to an annual global study of news habits, it is most likely the former. Social media as Australians' main source of news has increased to 26 per cent and has overtaken online news sites (23 per cent) for the first time. Meanwhile, the number of readers who say they no longer trust news reporting has risen to 32 per cent (up 8 per cent since 2016). These figures come from the Digital News Report: Australia 2025 conducted by the News and Media Research Centre at the University of Canberra surveyed 2006 adults. It is part of a global annual survey of digital news consumption in 48 countries, commissioned by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford. The Report paints a picture of growing distrust in mainstream news and the perception of a polluted online information environment where people find it hard to discern facts from fake news. Worryingly, of the 48 countries surveyed, Australians have the highest level of concern about what is real or fake online, with three-quarters saying they are worried about it. This is especially true of social media where Australians see Facebook (59 per cent) and TikTok (57 per cent) as the two social media platforms posing the biggest threat of spreading misinformation. Facebook is still the most visited social media site for news (38 per cent) but other video-based platforms are gaining popularity with almost one-third of consumers saying they use YouTube and one-in-five using Instagram for news. TikTok is the fastest-growing social media platform for news at 14 per cent which is up 12 per cent since 2020, particularly among younger generations. The growing use of social media and the decline in trust is accompanied by a loss of interest in news, and growing news avoidance. Over the past decade, there has been a significant drop in news interest, particularly among women and those aged 35+. More than two-thirds (69 per cent) of Australians say they often, sometimes or occasionally avoid the news. The reasons given range from the negative impact it has on their mood (46 per cent), perceptions of untrustworthiness or bias (37 per cent), and news fatigue (32 per cent). Trust is also an important factor that correlates with people's decision to avoid news. Consumers who trust the news are much less likely to say they avoid it (60 per cent) than those who distrust the news (79 per cent). People who are concerned about misinformation are also much more likely to say they avoid news (71 per cent) compared to those who are not worried about it (53 per cent). This implies that the environment in which news is situated has an impact on audiences' attitudes toward it. While they may not necessarily see misinformation on news platforms, the sheer volume of information online and concerns about false information can lead people to withdraw from news consumption. How can news organisations re-engage audiences who are losing faith in news? While much of the data reflects the decline of mainstream news consumption, it also points to possible remedies for these downward trends. In this year's survey, we asked if respondents had received any type of education or training - formal or informal - about how to use the news. News literacy is a sub-concept of media literacy and refers to the skills that help audiences have control over their relationship with news, alongside knowing how news is produced and distributed. News literacy education aims to develop a critical understanding of news, and how to analyse and assess the quality of sources. In Australia, there are few news literacy programs. However, broader media literacy education has been conducted in primary schools since 2012 after the Australian Curriculum, Assessment, and Reporting Authority identified it as a mandatory learning objective. But, for adults and vulnerable social groups, there is not much on offer. The majority of participants (70 per cent) in our survey say they have not had any news literacy education or training. There is a big generational gap. Only 5 per cent of participants aged 65 or older say they have received any kind of education about the news over their lifetime, compared to more than half of 18-24-year-olds. Notable differences are also found between men (29 per cent) and women (19 per cent), city (26 per cent) and regional participants (19 per cent). More importantly, there are critical differences in the attitudes and behaviours between Australian consumers who have received news literacy education and those who have not. Not only are people with news education more likely to pay for news, they are also more interested in news and less likely to avoid it. While they are more likely to be concerned about misinformation, their knowledge of how things work in an online environment means people with news literacy are not deterred by this because they feel more confident in their ability to discern misinformation. When it comes to checking online information that may be false, misleading, or fake, people who have received news literacy education are much more likely to say they go to news sources they trust (50 per cent) compared to those who have not (36 per cent). They are also more likely to turn to official websites and fact-checking. These active verification behaviours confirm the importance of news literacy education in helping Australian consumers navigate the complex online environment. Combined, this year's data provides a strong signal to policymakers and the news media to educate the public about how the news works, its role in society and how to critically evaluate it. Given concerns about social cohesion in Australia, and the rise of more populist approaches to politics, there is a growing need for citizens to be equipped with news literacy education. With half of people who pay for news saying they have received some kind of news literacy training, increasing media literacy levels across the population also makes good economic sense for the news industry. Digital News Report: Australia is produced by the News and Media Research Centre (N&MRC) at the University of Canberra. YouGov conducted the survey in January-February 2025. The data are weighted for age, gender and region. Education and political quotas were applied. In Australia, this is the eleventh annual survey of its kind produced by the N&MRC. How you are reading this sentence - whether from a social media link or directly on a news website - may determine how much you trust it. According to an annual global study of news habits, it is most likely the former. Social media as Australians' main source of news has increased to 26 per cent and has overtaken online news sites (23 per cent) for the first time. Meanwhile, the number of readers who say they no longer trust news reporting has risen to 32 per cent (up 8 per cent since 2016). These figures come from the Digital News Report: Australia 2025 conducted by the News and Media Research Centre at the University of Canberra surveyed 2006 adults. It is part of a global annual survey of digital news consumption in 48 countries, commissioned by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford. The Report paints a picture of growing distrust in mainstream news and the perception of a polluted online information environment where people find it hard to discern facts from fake news. Worryingly, of the 48 countries surveyed, Australians have the highest level of concern about what is real or fake online, with three-quarters saying they are worried about it. This is especially true of social media where Australians see Facebook (59 per cent) and TikTok (57 per cent) as the two social media platforms posing the biggest threat of spreading misinformation. Facebook is still the most visited social media site for news (38 per cent) but other video-based platforms are gaining popularity with almost one-third of consumers saying they use YouTube and one-in-five using Instagram for news. TikTok is the fastest-growing social media platform for news at 14 per cent which is up 12 per cent since 2020, particularly among younger generations. The growing use of social media and the decline in trust is accompanied by a loss of interest in news, and growing news avoidance. Over the past decade, there has been a significant drop in news interest, particularly among women and those aged 35+. More than two-thirds (69 per cent) of Australians say they often, sometimes or occasionally avoid the news. The reasons given range from the negative impact it has on their mood (46 per cent), perceptions of untrustworthiness or bias (37 per cent), and news fatigue (32 per cent). Trust is also an important factor that correlates with people's decision to avoid news. Consumers who trust the news are much less likely to say they avoid it (60 per cent) than those who distrust the news (79 per cent). People who are concerned about misinformation are also much more likely to say they avoid news (71 per cent) compared to those who are not worried about it (53 per cent). This implies that the environment in which news is situated has an impact on audiences' attitudes toward it. While they may not necessarily see misinformation on news platforms, the sheer volume of information online and concerns about false information can lead people to withdraw from news consumption. How can news organisations re-engage audiences who are losing faith in news? While much of the data reflects the decline of mainstream news consumption, it also points to possible remedies for these downward trends. In this year's survey, we asked if respondents had received any type of education or training - formal or informal - about how to use the news. News literacy is a sub-concept of media literacy and refers to the skills that help audiences have control over their relationship with news, alongside knowing how news is produced and distributed. News literacy education aims to develop a critical understanding of news, and how to analyse and assess the quality of sources. In Australia, there are few news literacy programs. However, broader media literacy education has been conducted in primary schools since 2012 after the Australian Curriculum, Assessment, and Reporting Authority identified it as a mandatory learning objective. But, for adults and vulnerable social groups, there is not much on offer. The majority of participants (70 per cent) in our survey say they have not had any news literacy education or training. There is a big generational gap. Only 5 per cent of participants aged 65 or older say they have received any kind of education about the news over their lifetime, compared to more than half of 18-24-year-olds. Notable differences are also found between men (29 per cent) and women (19 per cent), city (26 per cent) and regional participants (19 per cent). More importantly, there are critical differences in the attitudes and behaviours between Australian consumers who have received news literacy education and those who have not. Not only are people with news education more likely to pay for news, they are also more interested in news and less likely to avoid it. While they are more likely to be concerned about misinformation, their knowledge of how things work in an online environment means people with news literacy are not deterred by this because they feel more confident in their ability to discern misinformation. When it comes to checking online information that may be false, misleading, or fake, people who have received news literacy education are much more likely to say they go to news sources they trust (50 per cent) compared to those who have not (36 per cent). They are also more likely to turn to official websites and fact-checking. These active verification behaviours confirm the importance of news literacy education in helping Australian consumers navigate the complex online environment. Combined, this year's data provides a strong signal to policymakers and the news media to educate the public about how the news works, its role in society and how to critically evaluate it. Given concerns about social cohesion in Australia, and the rise of more populist approaches to politics, there is a growing need for citizens to be equipped with news literacy education. With half of people who pay for news saying they have received some kind of news literacy training, increasing media literacy levels across the population also makes good economic sense for the news industry. Digital News Report: Australia is produced by the News and Media Research Centre (N&MRC) at the University of Canberra. YouGov conducted the survey in January-February 2025. The data are weighted for age, gender and region. Education and political quotas were applied. In Australia, this is the eleventh annual survey of its kind produced by the N&MRC.
