Increased demand worries The Salvation Army leading into festive season

With 309 new families a week reaching out for help with food parcels, this Christmas will see The Salvation Army assist 17,000 New Zealand families unable to cope with the rising costs and pressures of the season. Nationally, requests for basic food parcel aid is up seven per cent.

Need is not confined to large cities. The provinces’ economic doldrums mean extra support is required in pockets of Dunedin, Nelson, Invercargill, New Plymouth, Rotorua, Palmerston North, Porirua and Upper Hutt. South, East and West Auckland as well as Christchurch City also continue to show increased demand.

Head of the Army’s Community Ministries Major Pam Waugh says stress and debt are big factors for many families with Christmas expenses and back-to-school pressures difficult for those living paycheck to paycheck.

“Housing costs and security of housing are major concerns and many families’ incomes are consumed by rent, electricity and other bills, with food becoming the expendable in the weekly budget.”

Responding to Christmas pressures by taking on crippling high-interest loans can increase stress, sometimes leading to family violence. The Salvation Army looks to relieve this pressure by providing food parcels, Christmas gifts and basic necessities.

Financial literacy and education for fragile families is also a big focus for The Salvation Army. Other longer-term support can also include emergency housing, employment training, counselling, addiction treatment, and a range of parenting, life skills and personal development services.

“Like all of us, these families want to enjoy some special times at Christmas, to swap gifts with each other and make great memories,” Pam says. “Why should the children in these families have to miss out on having a great Christmas just because their parents are struggling financially?”

This year, along with phone and online donations for its annual Christmas Appeal, the Army is offering a simple way for members of the public to pay their good fortune forward through its Gifts of Hope campaign, which allows the public to select from a range of gift packs to support families in need well past Christmas Day.

“You cannot help everyone, but everyone can help someone. Knowing you have helped a family put a roast meal on the table, presents under the tree and that you’re also equipping them with the tools to start the New Year in a good space is a special contribution to a season when we want to think about others and not just ourselves,” says Pam.

Gifts of Hope donation options include a Starting School Kit to provide essentials like new shoes and a lunch box, a Snuggle Pack with a warm duvet and PJs to keep a child healthy, and a gift-wrapped Christmas Gift to simply bring a smile to a child’s face — all of which will bring hope to a child in need.

Other Gifts of Hope options include assistance with Temporary Accommodation to help keep a family safe and sheltered, Parenting Skills sessions for raising children with confidence, and Family Food Parcels that take the pressure off the household budget with basic tinned food, fruit, vegetable and cleaning products.

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