NOVEMBER 17, 2020 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
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Salvos appeal for help By Esther Lauaki Demand for financial assistance is expected to increase two-fold this Christmas across municipalities hardest-hit by COVID-19. Sunshine Salvation Army Captain Colin Reynolds said there had already been significant demand for financial and emergency services in the lead-up to Christmas. “Many are living below the poverty line in Brimbank and doing it very tough, struggling to afford the necessities,” Captain Reynolds said. “We are anticipating a much larger increase in demand this year as a result of COVID-19. “Christmas is normally a busy time for The Salvation Army and there’s always a demand there for assistance services, but because of such high job losses this year, people will be struggling.”
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We are asking for people to give generously
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- Colin Reynolds The Salvation Army is launching its annual Christmas Appeal, aiming to raise $12 million to ensure those in need are taken care of over the festive season after a devastating year of bushfires, drought and coronavirus. In the past 12 months, The Salvation Army has helped 80,000 people impacted by COVID-19 and provided more than $10 million in financial assistance. “The high demand for our services is consistent with the journey that we’ve been on,” Captain Reynolds said. “We’ve noted that the scope of people that we have assisted has been much wider. “We would normally cater for those on lower incomes, whether they be elderly or found themselves without work. But with COVID, we’ve had people that, by their own admission, have said that they have never had to access assistance before and it has been a very humbling experience for us as well as them.” The impact of COVID-19 will also mean more people spending the Christmas period alone, Captain Reynolds said. “For us based in Sunshine, we normally offer the Christmas Day lunch where we would
Sunshine Salvation Army’s Colin and Phuong Reynolds. (Damjan Janevski) 220517_01
have 100 to 120 people sit down for lunch … that won’t happen this year because of COVID restrictions. “We will instead focus on our hamper and emergency food provisions to deliver to those people who need them. “We are asking for people to give generously
in terms of non-perishable food and essential items because there will be significantly more hampers needed to cater for everyone.” At Christmas, The Salvation Army’s teams will distribute more than 30,000 hampers and vouchers, give out more than $1.3 million in gifts and toys and support more than 50,000
Australian families in need. For financial and emergency assistance, reach out to The Salvation Army’s national financial support service on 1300 371 288 (9am-5pm Monday to Friday). Donate to The Salvation Army’s Christmas Appeal at 42 Devonshire Road, Sunshine.
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