COVID-19 assistance payments being wound back is expected to increase demand for other forms of family support leading up to Christmas.
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The need is expected to be so great St Vincent de Paul Society NSW chief executive Jack de Groot said this year's Vinnies Christmas Appeal is more important than ever.
Mr de Groot said more families will be left behind in coming months and is asking the community to give generously.
He said 2020 and 2021 had been difficult years for fundraising and Vinnies' stores have only recently reopened after 16 weeks with no income.
Mr de Groot said the stores won't go anywhere near covering the cost of meeting the growing demand for services this summer.
"We are looking for financial support from the community to help us respond," he said.
"For people who lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic and have been relying on support payments, their immediate futures are looking dim.
"Employment opportunities are typically pretty slim at this time of year and the reaching of vaccine thresholds has not simultaneously recreated all the jobs that were lost.
"This alone is placing a great deal of strain on many families. Many more families than usual are heading into the festive season behind the eight ball and, at Vinnies, we need your help to assist them."
Social justice vice president Brooke Simmons said when JobSeeker was increased, raising more people above the poverty line, Vinnies saw fewer requests for help.
But now that COVID payments are being wound back Vinnies is expecting a significant increase in calls for assistance.
"The fact that this is happening just before Christmas, when demand for our services typically goes up, means we are now facing a deluge.
"We need your assistance more than ever, so that we can keep supplying food, clothes, accommodation, case work for homelessness and domestic violence, and more."
Mr de Groot said Christmas appeal donations can be made at vinnies.org.au, by calling 13 18 12 or dropping into any Vinnies store.
"People donating to our shops is also important. That is a source of clothing for people. It also raises funds for our housing services to help with homelessness," he said.
"We have seen throughout COVID the rising costs of rent around the state. The decreased availability of affordable rents is putting many people really on the edge.
"We know during the lockdown there were 700,000 jobs lost. And while the unemployment rate at the moment is low. That is because so many people left the labour market when there weren't so many opportunities around.
"Increased unemployment without government support, the return to the Newstart allowance which was not really adequate before COVID and now with rental costs being what they are, people will really struggle.
"There is a lot to celebrate with the end of the lockdown and the return to economic activity. But that does not help everyone.
"That is why our Christmas Appeal is so important this year."
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