Uniting Wimmera provided $135,615 worth of crisis and housing support in the 2017-2018 financial year.
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But, they have asked people to reach into their pockets to help meet a growing demand as the Christmas countdown begins.
Uniting Wimmera’s acting executive officer Josh Koenig said there has been a rise in demand for homelessness support as the number of people at risk continued to grow.
According to Uniting’s crisis entry point data, the region’s housing issues, the severe impact of drought and poor harvest, stagnated wage growth and the high cost of utility bills was pushing more rural people towards financial crisis.
In the 2017-2018 financial period, over $135,615 of crisis and emergency relief was given for 1,677 families and individuals in the region. Of these people, 62 per cent were male and 36.8 per cent were female.
One week before seeking support, 54.8 per cent of people had no income.
Mr Koenig said the Christmas and harvest season overlapped and many farmers in the region will be “facing a dismal season.”
“This means less money in the pocket of farmers already and not a lot of prospects for the new year,” he said.
“It also means there are far fewer farm hand jobs and the normal boost around grain contractors normally recruited by companies over the summer.”
Mr Koenig said the economic impact of that downturn means people spend less money at local businesses, which affected retail employment opportunities.
“The cost of rent is going up while wages have dropped. Many locals can only find casual or part-time work,” Mr Koenig said.
“The knock-on effect is quite simply, people cannot afford to buy food, pay their rent or pay their bills on time.
“It is not just people on welfare that are asking for assistance. Under employment, casualisation of the workforce and rising costs of living mean that some people who have jobs still cannot afford to make ends meet.”
With Christmas donations down on last year, Mr Koenig said the organisation required more gift and non-perishable food items to ease the pressure for those who are struggling in the lead-up to Christmas.
Mr Koenig said all donations will support Wimmera people who are experiencing hardship.
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