According to UNSW and ACOSS report, Poverty in Australia 2020, 1 in 8 Australians are living in poverty, and the poverty rate among children is much higher, more than 1 in 6. Poverty is defined as having a lack of money for immediate basic needs – such as food, housing, clothing – and for long-term savings or wealth.

We also spoke with Andrew Robinson from The Salvos, who gave us some jarring statistics:

‘From November 2020 to January 2021, the number of people seeking Emergency Relief assistance who were employed increased sixfold, while people with no income tripled, compared to the same period the year before’. The Salvos Making Ends Meet report, May 2021, notes that more than half of the respondents reported they regularly skipped meals and were unable to afford enough food to feed their families.

‘Last year during the Christmas period, The Salvation Army distributed over 64,000 hampers and vouchers worth over $1.89 million to those finding it almost impossible to make ends meet and gave out over 26,000 gifts and toys to families in need of a hand. The Salvos also supported the vulnerable by ‘providing over 130,000 meals across the country, more than 66,000 beds for those needing a place to stay and supporting over 10,000 families with accommodation during the festive season.’

According to The Salvos, this year, the needs and number of vulnerable Aussie’s are expected to reach a new peak. ‘Christmas is the busiest time of the year for The Salvos across the country. While Christmas is a time of joy and celebration for many, others doing it tough in our community find it an extremely difficult period for them personally.

The increased isolation, financial stress, and mental health impacts of COVID-19 this year will only exacerbate these issues. The Salvos want to leave no one in need this Christmas and need the generosity of the public once again to those doing it really tough’.

I wrote a blog Sleeping Rough, following my experiences at the Vinnies CEO Sleepout, where we slept outside on one of the coldest and darkest nights of the year to raise money for vulnerable Aussies. In the blog, I spoke a lot about the ‘hidden homeless’, ‘if we don’t see it, it’s not there’. However, you may be surprised to know poverty in Australia is just above the OECD average level, placing us among a group of wealthy nations with above-average poverty. And that on any given night, 1 in 200 Australians are homeless. A home isn’t just four walls and a roof. It’s a foundation for safety and security. Access to safe and secure housing is one of the most basic human rights. Most shockingly and perhaps disturbing is the increasing rate of homelessness in Australia is greater than population growth.

Last year, you and many others from the EST10 community provided such overwhelming support for the cause, and our entire foyer was filled with food and gifts! Thank you again for being so generous! The Salvation Army has set a goal of $20 million this year in anticipation of the high volume of needs.

We are after any groceries–non-perishables. Please don’t feel you need to go to the supermarket–have a look in your cupboard! We also need gifts for children and please, don’t forget teenagers. Gifts to be unwrapped to easily determine age-appropriate gifting.

Please bring groceries or gifts to our office in Sydney, level 10, 66 Hunter Street. We are there every day from 8am-6pm. Our tree will be up and decorated (plus a few carols playing), ready to receive your gifts from Monday, 15th November. The last day to drop off is Thursday, 9th December–hence our early messaging!

We are so grateful for all the support every year. We know, understand, and feel for how tough the last few years have been and respect that not everyone is able to help.

We couldn’t agree more with The Salvos when they said, ‘Christmas offers us a time to reflect and connect with one another and celebrate the joy of community. Connection will be more important than ever this year, so look out for your mate, check in on family and embrace the true meaning of Christmas’

Thank you as always!
Rox

‘Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts.’ – Janice Maeditere