Vinnies records increase in Tasmanians seeking help (17/7/24)

The Examiner

Vinnies has recorded an 18 per cent increase in Tasmanians seeking emergency relief assistance from this time last year. Video by Aaron Smith (17/7/24)

Transcript

00:00We're at the mid-year point for our winter appeal for 24 and we have seen an 18% increase

00:06on individuals statewide. They're approaching us for emergency relief as opposed to this time

00:11last year. We are seeing a lot of people who may be underemployed so they are working but not

00:17necessarily receiving enough hours to make ends meet. Also people over 55 are more frequently

00:23requesting support. It is definitely becoming a bit more challenging to keep up with those

00:29demands but as statewide we do continue to see every individual that approaches us for support

00:34where we can and offer that basic support. So one of our major support networks in the north

00:42is the emergency relief. So it's where someone can make an appointment and pop in to see us.

00:49Their needs can be anything from some food right then and there or some help with financial

00:55assistance, even petrol to go to doctor's appointments. One of the biggest things that

01:01I've seen over the last two years is people that have never had to use our service before

01:06finding themselves in a crisis and it's wonderful that we can actually help them but it's also

01:12very hard for them when they first come. So we want it to be a place where they feel

01:18supported and welcomed and valued and we have so many places that you could volunteer. We have

01:23our emergency relief, we have our shops, we have our van that goes out of an evening to give a hot

01:29cup of soup and some sandwiches and yeah there's lots of places that we can find somewhere for them to fit.

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