Hi everyone,

Thank you.

What started as a conversation has now gained media attention, and it’s important to be clear about what this is actually about.

This was never about one store.

This is about a growing gap that is being ignored.

There is a large group of people who are not considered “in crisis”
but are still struggling to meet basic needs.

They are working.
They are raising families.
They look “fine.”

But they are living pay to pay, making constant trade offs just to get through.

And they are falling through the cracks.

When something is labelled as “affordable” or “low cost,” that should have a clear and consistent meaning.

Right now, it doesn’t.

Access is becoming dependent on perception, assumptions, and whether someone qualifies for assistance systems that many people either cannot access or will not use.

That is the issue.

At this point,
The Salvation Army have not responded.

St Vincent de Paul Society have responded, but the conversation has been shut down using broad, corporate language rather than addressing the concern directly.

This matters.

Because no one should walk into a store that promotes affordable goods and leave because they still cannot afford basic items.

No one should feel they have to explain or justify their situation to access something as basic as clothing.

And yet, this is what people are describing every day.

This is the gap.

The people who are working.
The people who are surviving.
The people who do not meet criteria for support, but still cannot keep up.

Living in poverty does not always look like homelessness.

Often, it is hidden.

It looks like someone holding everything together while quietly going without.

I also want to address something openly.

Speaking about this has come with personal attacks, judgement, and even threats.

And while that says a lot about how uncomfortable this topic makes people, it also reinforces exactly why this conversation matters.

Because when people are more focused on attacking the person speaking than the issue itself, it usually means the issue has hit a nerve.

That doesn’t silence this.

If anything, it makes it clearer that this needs to be said.

This conversation is not about staff.
Not about volunteers.
Not about targeting any single organisation.

It is about a broader disconnect between what is being communicated to the public and what is being experienced in reality.

The media attention is important, because it brings visibility to something that has largely gone unseen.

But visibility only matters if it leads to change.

So keep sharing.
Keep speaking up.
Keep being loud.

Because this only changes if it is acknowledged.

Thank you for standing behind something that is about access, dignity, and fairness.

Cass