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Deputy Premier, The Hon Jeremy Rockliff, Launches AssistanceTas.com.au

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The Deputy Premier and Minister for Community Services and Development, the Hon. Jeremy Rockliff MP, has launched the AssistanceTas.com.au website on behalf of the Tasmanian Emergency Relief Community of Practice (TERCOP) group of charities.
AssistanceTas.com.au will allow disadvantaged Tasmanians and people in need of urgent emergency relief to access eight service providers quickly via the use of a QR Code or the website. Participating charities include CatholicCare, Helping Hand Association Longford, Hobart City Mission, Launceston Benevolent Society, No Interest Loan Scheme (NILS), the Salvation Army Tasmania, the St. Vincent de Paul Society (Tas), and UnitingVicTas.
St. Vincent de Paul Society CEO, Lara Alexander, who initiated the idea, said that the charities pooled their resources to build the AssistanceTas website to centralise assistance for the most vulnerable in our community. 
“AssistanceTas.com.au is an emergency relief website, funded and designed by TERCOP group (Tasmanian Emergency Relief Community of Practice), with input from the eight participating service providers and Tasmanian IT firm, Link Technologies. It will allow disadvantaged Tasmanians and people in need to access emergency relief quickly via the use of a QR Code or the website,” Mrs Alexander said.
“The AssistanceTas emergency relief website will serve as an additional entry point for vulnerable Tasmanians to access emergency relief services close to where they live. The website is geographically intelligent and will direct users to the closest point, and the most appropriate source of assistance. It will be particularly useful for those who might not be familiar with the service providers in their area, or the scope of services they can provide.
“This initiative represents a cooperative approach to offering emergency relief, which had its genesis in the cooperation between community service providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a positive step in the right direction for the not-for-profit sector, whereby we can continue to provide a higher level of service and emergency relief, based on each charity’s specific expertise and geographical location. Individuals and families in distress need immediate attention. The website and QR code will speed up the time between when they contact the charity and when they are given the assistance they require,” Mrs Alexander said.
The initiative was coordinated by the St. Vincent de Paul Society, in conjunction with the other TERCOP charities and Tasmanian technology enterprise, Link Technologies Tasmania. Website development commenced in August 2020 with a commitment of circa $10,000. Approximately 2,500 hours have been donated by the IT technicians and managers, and service providers to make the website a reality.
The website will be live from June 29, 2021, in time for winter, when historically community organisations and charities experience the greatest need for their emergency relief and associated services. 
Quotes from other TERCOP contributing charity organisations:
From Launceston Benevolent Society CEO, Mr Rodney Spinks.
“The Launceston Benevolent Society is pleased to be part of this important initiative. Our goal is to make emergency relief easily accessible to anyone who needs it, and this is exactly what assistancetas.com.au does. It shows great collaboration between like-minded organisations for the betterment of our community,” Launceston Benevolent Society CEO, Rodney Spinks, said.
From the Salvation Army Tasmania Divisional Commander, Captain Kim Haworth.
“Emergency Relief service providers are committed to ensuring that members of our community can access support when and how they need to, how they would like to, with as many entry points as practicable. By providing a Web Form to the community, we are able to add one more access point to the various ways people can receive assistance.
“The Salvation Army is pleased to work within this broader community of practice, knowing that seeking emergency assistance can often be a difficult and sensitive situation, in order to make access to services as simple as possible for our community,” the Salvation Army Tasmania. Divisional Commander, Captain Kim Haworth, said.
From CatholicCare Tasmania CEO, Mr Andrew Hill. 
“CatholicCare Tasmania is here for vulnerable Tasmanians, no matter what their circumstances are,” CatholicCare Tasmania CEO, Andrew Hill, said.
“CatholicCare rallied around community members at the height of the COVID-19 response, to provide comprehensive support, in line with the increased demand. This response included the large and coordinated effort in rolling out emergency relief funding for those Tasmanians needing it most.
“Last year from April to September, our organisation saw a 48% increase in monetary assistance, provided through emergency relief to community members, compared to the same period the in the year prior.
“We continue our collaboration with Tasmanian agencies on this important Emergency Relief Project, which will only strengthen our collective approach and planning for providing emergency relief now and into the future,” he said.
AssistanceTas Service Provisions:
The following list identifies some of the services Tasmanians in need can access via the AssistanceTas Website. • FINANCIAL – including financial counselling, and assistance with utility bills, medical costs, rent arrears, driving license renewals, and assistance with bonds. • FOOD – including food parcels, food vouchers and, by extension, access to Dining with Friend (Vinnies) and associated services offered by various service providers. • HOUSING – while the participating charities may not directly supply housing, they can assist those in need to find temporary accommodation or emergency shelter. • NILS – no interest loan/finance for whitegoods and items required for everyday living. This cuts out pay-day lenders and the need to repay exorbitant interest rates. • HOUSEHOLD ITEMS – assisting families and individuals in need or suffering duress to access furniture and household goods to set up a new home. For instance, families and/or individuals fleeing domestic violence or those affected by a natural disaster. • DOMESTIC VIOLENCE – Assisting individuals and families quickly and efficiently to access emergency assistance when they are the subject of or have the potential to be affected by domestic violence

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