Liam McNally
Demand for emergency support from the St Vincent de Paul Society is “through the roof” in the Moorabool area.
Michael Ryan is the president of the St Vincent de Paul Society Ballarat Regional Council, which manages the organisation’s work in Moorabool and Ballarat.
St Vincent’s has two volunteer-run relief centres in the area, which are open three mornings a week and can provide emergency material aid of food and domestic products, and some support for education expenses and utility bills.
Mr Ryan said that in the past 12 months demand had gone “through the roof”, with one centre seeing a visitation increase of 300 per cent, and people requiring about 30 per cent more in assistance across the board.
“These stark figures underscore the urgent and growing need for support in our community that the St Vincent de Paul Society is responding to,” he said.
“In the current cost of living climate household budgets are under huge stress and the need is growing exponentially.
“People are struggling. It’s the worst I’ve seen.”
Mr Ryan said that the pressure is even greater on single-income households, and there’s a sense of anxiety in the community, which can have other negative knock-on effects.
“Clearly the cost of food and the basics of life have gone up,” he said.
“It’s really tough to meet those expenses… [for some] there’s a sense of disbelief that they need to come for assistance.”
Meeting the community demand is stretching the resources of St Vincent de Paul Society thin.
“The need in the last 12 months as far outstretched any budget allocations,” he said.
“The number of volunteers is [also] inadequate to deal with the surge – it’s rewarding work but it’s also really challenging emotionally. Our volunteers do an amazing job but it’s challenging.”
Moving forward Mr Ryan said he can’t see an end in sight to the issues people are facing, but hopes governments pull whatever levers are at their control.
“I can’t see what’s happening now changing much over the next 12 to 18 months. This could well be the new normal,” he said.
“It’s incumbent on governments to understand how difficult it is for people and do everything in their power to put downward pressure on the cost of necessities. It’s their obligation and responsibility.
“On a personal level we’re in a very difficult time for a lot of people. As a community we need to be conscious of what’s going on and be kind to people.”
