While the fires were still burning on Kangaroo Island, two workers from the Affordable SA Helpline volunteered their time to provide immediate assistance to those affected by the bushfires. I sat down with Sarah and James to get a glimpse of what it was like to visit a community impacted by bushfires.
Early in the morning, Sarah and James caught the ferry from Cape Jervis to Penneshaw and made the one-hour trip to the Recovery Centre in Parndana. On the road to Parndana, James recalled seeing the city of tents set up next to the airport to accommodate the CFS volunteers and the highly visible presence of the Army across the island, something most of us are not used to seeing in our suburbs. The Army were on the island to assist with distributing water, burying dead stock, shifting fallen trees and maintaining the safety of the locals.
Once they arrived in Parndana, Sarah and James were involved in providing immediate financial assistance to those impacted by the fires. As the fires were still burning on the island, a Watch and Act warning was still in place so many locals were still in ‘survival mode’ – just taking one day at a time.
Interestingly, they both recalled that most of the people who visited the centre for assistance did not come alone and were supported by friends, family members or neighbours. Having a good support network around you is a big advantage in getting through life’s uncertainties and we see the benefits with many who contact the Affordable SA Helpline or seek Financial Counselling.
As the bushfires destroyed or temporarily closed many businesses, numerous people were left without a source of income. Sarah recalled that first and foremost people needed cash because unfortunately even during a natural disaster, you still need to buy groceries, pay school fees, buy petrol, register your car, etc.
Amongst the chaos and uncertainty, stories of the locals helping each other started to emerge. There were households providing shelter to up to 15 people, one person was feeding 30 people a day and a man used his own tractor to cut firebreaks around his own town to stop the fires from spreading. Even though these people may have been facing their own adversities, they put their own needs aside to assist their community…because that’s what islanders do.
I asked Sarah and James if their time on Kangaroo Island had made them reflect on their own life in any way. James said that seeing the impact of the bushfires made him feel grateful for what he has and not to worry about the little things. Sarah commented that it reinforced the importance of being prepared and having a plan in place if a natural disaster was to occur.
After seeing the damage first hand, I asked Sarah and James what the everyday South Australian could do to support the communities that have been impacted by the bushfires. They both echoed the call to support the local businesses and communities. Although a bushfire can create devastation there is something uniquely beautiful about how the Australian bush can rejuvenate itself. With our support the island will once again flourish.
Although the tables and chairs at the Kangaroo Island recovery centre are slowly being packed away and several services are returning to the mainland, many islanders are still experiencing the ongoing financial repercussions caused by the bushfires. In response to this next phase of the recovery process, The Salvation Army now has experienced financial counsellors based in both the Kingscote Community Centre on Kangaroo Island and at the Lobethal Recovery Centre in the Adelaide Hills. These staff will be there for the long haul, providing free financial counselling for people affected by the Kangaroo Island and Cudlee Creek bushfires.
We understand that there is a long road ahead for many people, therefore if you are experiencing financial hardship because of the Bushfires and you would like to speak to a financial counsellor call the Affordable SA Helpline on 1800 025 539 or drop into the Lobethal or Kingscote office to have a chat.
Lobethal - https://www.affordablesa.com.au/contact-us/lobethal-financial-counselling-recovery-centre
Kingscote - https://www.affordablesa.com.au/contact-us/kangaroo-island-the-salvation-army-financial-counselling
For more information about Fire and Disaster Recovery Services in South Australia see the attached link to the Affordable SA Website.
By Sam
More From 'News Articles'
Christmas Lunch 2022
Christmas is a special time of year but it can be especially hard on those who are less fortunate or alone. Thankfully, there are groups that organise lunches for people on Christmas Day. If you are or know some one in this situation , please find a list of service providers attached
50 Days to Go....50 Ways to Save for an Australian Christmas
Community
1. Contact your local Salvation Army and ask about the Christmas Cheer Program
2. Seek out which church based organisations are offering Christmas day lunch in your area
3. If don’t want to feel the financial pressure of Christmas Day, consider volunteering your time on Christmas Day to help others
4. Contact your local council, community centre or library to see what free Christmas activities are offered in your area during the Christmas period
5. Visit your local op shop for Christmas supplies
6. If you are considering buying a pet as a gift for Christmas, consider adopting from a rescue centre
Food
7. Buy in bulk and split the cost with friends and/or family members
8. Start buying non-perishable groceries now
9. If you know that there will be non-perishable groceries that you will need for Christmas, buy 2 of them when they are half price, that way you will have one for now and one for Christmas
10. Instead of an expensive hot turkey, consider a non-traditional, southern-hemisphere inspired Christmas Day menu of cold meat and salads
11. As most supermarkets are closed on Christmas Day, pay them a visit the night before right before they close to see what food has been discounted
12. It doesn’t snow this side of the equator on Christmas Day, so take Christmas outside. As an option, suggest that everyone bring a salad or a packet of sausages to cook on the public BBQ at your local park.
13. Instead of trying to buy (or make) a Christmas pudding, consider making a ‘non-traditional’ ice cream cake
14. Consider using accumulated supermarket loyalty points to buy your Christmas food
15. Instead of hosting a Christmas lunch or dinner, consider the cheaper option of a Christmas breakfast (no turkey required)
16. Avoid Christmas hampers that have year-long payment arrangements. You can end up paying a lot more for items compared to if you purchased them outright.
17. Don’t feel pressured to serve ‘traditional’ food at Christmas time. In Japan, it is tradition for around 3.6 million families to get a ‘holiday party bucket’ from KFC on Christmas Eve…
18. Instead of buying a whole turkey, ham or chicken, consider buying separate cuts of meat (e.g. legs, wings, roasts, etc.)
Presents
19. Commit to a budget. Draw up a table with who you are buying for and how much you can afford to spend on each person. Do not go over your budget.
20. If the children in your family are getting older, consider the option of a Secret Santa (each person is responsible for only one gift)
21. Take advantage of the extended Christmas shopping hours. There will be less people around, which means you may feel less stressed and rushed
22. Don’t feel pressured by others, or yourself, to buy Christmas presents you cannot afford
23. Wrapping paper can be expensive. Consider newspaper, material, cellophane, brown paper, etc
24. Consider baking cookies or making a Christmas pudding as alternative to buying someone a Christmas present
25. Consider making homemade pickles, jams, preserves and giving them as gifts
26. Only go shopping for Christmas gifts when you know what you want to buy – avoid impulse purchases that are not within your budget
27. Save money on buying Christmas cards by sending your Christmas greetings electronically via email, text or social media
28. If you are creative, try a DIY present – soaps, candles, a knitted scarf, a tie dye t shirt, a photo frame, a painting, etc
29. Consider giving the ‘gift of time’ to someone. Create a coupon book of activities that you could do together in the future (e.g. watching a movie of the other person’s choice)
30. Do not put yourself in financial hardship just so you can buy what others consider to be ‘the most amazing, best Christmas present of 2021’… it will be something completely different by Christmas 2022
31. If you don’t know what to get someone, consider a small charity donation on their behalf
32. Consider giving gift cards instead of actual gifts
33. Avoid the temptation of getting ‘quick, easy’ money through pay day lenders to buy Christmas presents
34. Recycle Christmas wrapping paper and gift bags from previous years
Decorations
35. Get your children involved by making your own Christmas cards
36. Buy your 2022 Christmas decorations on or after Boxing Day
37. If buying a new Christmas tree is not in your budget this year, consider designing and building your own
38. To give the traditional ‘Christmas tree’ a modern twist, decorate an indoor plant
39. Make your own table decorations – i.e. use a roll of wrapping paper as a table runner or pick foliage from your garden
40. Make your own Christmas stockings by decorating old pillow cases
41. Use newspaper and craft paint to make a home-made Christmas garland
42. Choose solar Christmas lights over electric
43. Do not put yourself in debt trying to make your house look like something you saw online. You don’t need to make people believe that you live in a European, snow covered cottage…
Budget
44. Are you a casual employee and does your work place close over Christmas? Make sure that you have funds saved up to cover essential living expenses over the Christmas break.
45. Do not put yourself into financial hardship for the sake of others. If you cannot afford to attend a Christmas function, it is ok to politely decline the invitation.
46. It is inevitable that there will be people out there that will spend more/less than you at Christmas. Remember to work within your budget this Christmas
47. The weather at Christmas time can be extremely hot. Consider doing a home energy audit on your air conditioner/cooling system to see the amount of electricity it uses and what it is costing you
48. For Christmas 2022, consider putting money away each fortnight into a separate bank account
49. Create a Christmas spending budget and keep track of food, presents, decorations, etc
50. Try to avoid using the money you would spend on essential living expenses (rent, electricity, etc) to pay for Christmas. This will catch up with you when Christmas is over.
Only a Week till Christmas
Where does the time go? Only 7 Days until Christmas!
Time to pick-up last-minute gifts and prepare for celebrations with family and friends. There’s presents to wrap, food to make and lots and lots of little jobs that can make it a very busy time.
Christmas Finances
The tricky thing about the festive season is that life doesn’t stop. Your real estate agent will still direct debit your rental payment, your electricity company will still want your quarterly bill paid and your telco company will still demand your BPay payment on a set day of the month.
With the added expense of Christmas, the end of the year can put a lot of pressure on people’s financial situation and unfortunately here on the Affordable SA helpline we tend to see the aftermath at the start of the new year.
Being part of the billion-dollar Christmas debt hangover is no way to start the New Year. If you are struggling with your expenses call the Affordable SA Helpline on 1800 025 539 to speak to a Financial Counsellor.
You can also find a range of programs that can help here:
https://affordablesa.com.au/programs/money-and-finances
Food for Christmas
Have you got enough food for you and your family this Christmas?
There's still time to access food pantries and emergency relief, but be quick as services may be closed, providing limited service or have different hours during the Christmas and New Year period.
A food pantry offers free or low cost food and groceries to the community. Find a local Food Pantry here:
https://affordablesa.com.au/programs/food/food-pantry
You can find local, emergency relief here:
https://affordablesa.com.au/programs/food/emergency-relief
You can also call the Affordable SA helpline to be connected to services near you that can help. Call the helpline on 1800 025 539
A Christmas Together
It's also an important time to check in on people you know who may be experiencing loneliness or hardship.
Spare a thought for your elderly neighbour who lives alone, your friend who is experiencing financial hardship, your relative who is going through a separation or your co-worker who is struggling with depression.
If you know someone who finds this time of year especially difficult, consider reaching out to them to show that you are thinking of them.
If you or someone you know finds this time of year especially difficult, services such as Lifeline are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week to take your call on 13 11 14
https://affordablesa.com.au/programs/health-care/lifeline
Have a Merry Christmas South Australia
From everyone at Affordable SA, we wish you a very merry Christmas and all the best for 2021!