Celebrating 120 Years
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2010
$1.20
12 page South Coast Farmer inside
NARELLE Couper suffered serious injuries after being involved in a car accident while cycling in the United States of America just two months ago. Last week, the Mardan woman was back home, still recovering but celebrating finishing a 7036km ride to support a charity bringing clean water to poor people around the world. Twenty people have been helped by her fundraising so far. Find out more on page four.
Festive plea Rising bills and rents pressure families By Chris Brown CHARITIES have pleaded for donations to help families battle financial hardship this Christmas. Rising rents and utility bills are forcing more South Gippsland residents to seek help from charities. Demand for help from the Salvation Army has risen by 41 per cent in two years. St Vincent de Paul Society is also helping more people than ever make it through the week, while Anglicare
says Christmas time increases stress on families. St Vincent de Paul Society’s Leongatha Conference president Josie Bleeser said people on social security benefits and who were paying rent were particularly struggling. “There is also the higher cost of utilities. Phone bills, electricity, gas and water have gone up,” she said. “All of those things drain people and then they don’t have enough for their food.” People who seek help from St Vincent’s are often long term clients or have been referred by friends or
Centrelink. “They haven’t had the opportunities in lots of ways. They deal with illness, homelessness, lack of money, lack of confidence and sometimes some addictions as well,” Ms Bleeser said. St Vincent’s mainly provides hampers of non-perishable goods for 100 families, valued at $75 each. These include a Christmas cake, Christmas pudding, sugar, tea, coffee, tinned fruit, custard and long life milk. “We find people who are on social security benefits are struggling all year. Then to have those extra things that we like to have and we all take for granted
at Christmas time, they just haven’t got the money to do it,” Ms Bleeser said. The need for hampers has grown, as only 75 were distributed 10 years ago. Children in families that receive hampers are given gifts, sourced through Leongatha chiropractor, Lorcan Heneghan. Continued on page 8.
Helping hand: St Vincent de Paul Society’s Leongatha conference president Josie Bleeser with items for hampers this Christmas.