Unemployment, cost of living and earthquakes put pressure on Salvation Army social services.

Demand for food parcels, budgeting, counselling, emergency housing and other welfare services continues to climb as The Salvation Army launches the Red Shield Appeal, its main annual fundraising drive for its welfare services.

Excluding its recovery work in Christchurch, Salvation Army welfare centres distributed 50,675 food parcels to 26,677 families and individuals in the year to March 31, 2011. This shows a 3.25 per cent increase in the number of food parcels and 7.25 per cent rise in families receiving emergency food parcels in the March 2022 quarter compared to the same period in 2010. Around 6000 families were provided with clothing, bedding or furniture during the year.

People seeking emergency food aid are often referred on to the Army’s budgeting, social work and advocacy, counselling and other services to help solve the underlying causes of their need. Around 16,500 people received this type of support in the 12 months to March.

In addition, Salvation Army churches distributed another 2174 food parcels to around 2000 families during the year to March. Add The Salvation Army’s recovery work in Christchurch to the mix and the total number of food parcels distributed for the year to the end of the March 2011 quarter was 62,317, a rise of 21 per cent compared to the same period in 2010. The Salvation Army’s quake-related work in Christchurch is funded separately and not from the Red Shield Appeal.

With the expected continuation of consumer price index increases and no relief in sight for the jobless, coupled with the ongoing social and economic fallout from the Christchurch quake, Salvation Army head of fundraising Major Robbie Ross hopes the generosity of Kiwis since the quake will not be diminished by compassion fatigue.

“Post-earthquake Christchurch is the challenge of our time, but our great concern now is that we don’t lose sight of those families across the country who are struggling to get by in the face of continuing harsh economic times,” he says.

Some welfare centres saw a decrease in service provision in the past year, which Salvation Army head of welfare services Major Pam Waugh, puts down to significant successes by Salvation Army budget advisers and advocates in helping clients escape the debt cycle and become more financially independent.

But other centres, including Auckland City, Tokoroa, Hutt Valley and many in the South Island are seeing significant increases in demand for services.

Some of this increased demand is a result of Christchurch residents moving to other parts of the country after the September earthquake, but continuing high unemployment for young adults and the semi-skilled, and rising living costs are forcing more people to seek help, Major Waugh says.

“Generally, we’re seeing more low-income working families seeking assistance as their hours are cut or they are retrenched, and some centres are seeing higher numbers of superannuants,” she says.

This is illustrated by the number of families and individuals seeking assistance from The Salvation Army for the first time, climbing 12.6 per cent to 17,000 in the year to March.

“This is not about these people making poor spending choices,” Major Waugh says. “People living on subsistence incomes have stark choices to make when faced with school or dental fees or the need to replace a washing machine. Often this involves getting saddled with debilitating debt for many years.”

The Red Shield Appeal runs from May 2-8. Donations fund The Salvation Army’s social services. Authorised Salvation Army collectors will be in the central areas of most towns and cities to receive donations.

Auckland/Northland
Overall, the region experienced a 6.7 per cent fall in food parcels distributed, down to 24,139. The number of families receiving emergency food aid decreased almost 2 per cent to 12,506. Some of this decrease is attributed to expanding resources aimed at getting clients into budget counselling and advocating on their behalf, including ensuring those on a benefit received their full entitlements before accessing emergency food aid.

Auckland City, however, saw a 38.5 per cent jump in the number of families accessing emergency food aid during the year and New Lynn experienced a 20 per cent rise.

Mid-North Island
The region from Tauranga down to Taupo experienced an increase of almost 11 per cent in the number of families receiving emergency food aid to more than 4200 families.

Hastings and Napier saw increases of 11.6 per cent and 12 per cent respectively, while families seeking assistance in Tokoroa rose 27 per cent.

Lower North Island
Lower North Island welfare centres (Wanganui down to Wellington) had an 8.5 per cent increase in the number of families seeking food aid to 4100 families.

Hutt City provided food parcels to 759 families, up 45 per cent, and 1267 Palmerston North families received food parcels, a rise of almost 12 per cent.

South Island
Southern welfare centres experienced a 25.6 per cent increase in the number of families accessing emergency food aid, totalling 6800. A significant proportion of these were families arriving from Christchurch following the September and especially the February quakes.

Issued on the Authority of Commissioner Donald Bell (Territorial Commander)
The Salvation Army, New Zealand Fiji & Tonga Territory

© Scoop Media