WARRNAMBOOL families are turning to charities for help as school costs hit hard on top of increased living expenses.
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St Vincent de Paul along with Foodshare have both reported a spike in the need for assistance as the back to school date approaches.
Kevin Wright, president of the St Vincent de Paul Glenelg Regional Council, said some families faced financial difficulty getting ready for the school year and there had been an increased need this month.
“We do find some families struggle with the back to school costs around this time and I think it might be a bit worse this time,” he said. “Some of the government bonuses have dried up.
“The reasons are many and varied. The jobless rate has increased and a lot of people are on Newstart. Often when there’s family break-ups people need support. Generally the cost of rents and utilities is putting pressure on families.”
Mr Wright said the increase reflected a greater need for financial help throughout the year, with St Vincent de Paul’s data showing a steady increase since the 2013-14 financial year. In the first quarter of this financial year St Vincent de Paul had helped in 710 cases compared with the first quarter of the 2014-15 financial year of 625 cases and 584 cases in the previous financial year. The St Vincent de Paul Glenleg Regional Council covers Warrnambool, Port Fairy, Koroit, Hamilton and Casterton.
Mr Wright said although it could be difficult for people to seek help, he encouraged them to do so. “The first step is speak to the school and see how they can help,” he said.
Warrnambool and District Food Share executive officer Dedy Friebe echoed Mr Wright and said back to school was a traditionally a time of high expenses for families. “Ninety per cent of our orders go to families through St Vincent de Paul or the Salvation Army or Salvo Connect,” he said.
“We fed over 8000 people last year. We’re up 25 per cent in demand and that really paints the level of need out there. We have 87 registered agencies which we work with including schools.”
Mr Friebe said increased awareness of the organisation’s services together with better access to welfare support and more registered agencies meant it was increasingly easier for people to get assistance. "People are happy to access support when they know they don’t have to knock down 100 doors to get help,” he said.
