Calls to Vinnies surge as WA families hit hardship with school expenses
As children across WA prepare to return to classrooms next week, Vinnies WA has been seeing a surge in calls for help to cover back-to-school costs as families grapple with the rising costs of living.
Since late last year, Vinnies’ Emergency Relief call centre has been inundated with calls from parents seeking help to cover the cost of school essentials, with more than half the callers being single parents with dependent children.
Vinnies WA Director of Community Engagement Services Andrew York said the spike in calls highlights the growing financial struggles for WA families who are unable to cover their child’s education costs, including school bags, uniforms, lunchboxes and stationery.
“Too many children start the school year without basics like uniforms, stationery or even enough food,” Mr York said.
“This is reflected in our community, and we’re seeing this across several of our Emergency Relief locations, which are run by our volunteer Members, who have seen a notable increase in requests for school-related support,” Mr York said.
“In particular we have seen a high demand at our locations in Mandurah, Joondalup, Albany, Armadale, Rockingham and Midland, which goes to show the financial strain that is being felt by many WA families.”
At the start of each year, Vinnies WA launches its Back to School program which provides around 1000 WA students with backpacks filled with school essentials such as stationery, lunchboxes, and drink bottles.
The program also provides help to cover uniform costs and assistance with buying essentials from retailers like Officeworks, Big W and Kmart.
“At Vinnies, we believe no child should go without,” Vinnies WA CEO Ann Curran said.
“Every child in WA should have the opportunity to access a good education, without the burden of financial stress, and by providing support to struggling families, we look to make their lives that little bit easier.”
Running parallel to the Emergency Relief support, Vinnies WA concurrently runs a Back-to-School Appeal, which calls for the WA community to dig deep and donate to struggling WA families who can’t afford to provide school essentials for their child.
“Rising living costs are forcing families to make impossible choices,” Ms Curran said.
“Your donation to our appeal helps provide essential school items and nutritious meals, giving children the confidence to learn and belong. And that is where we can make a real difference to peoples’ lives.”
Last year, the Back-to-School Appeal raised around $100,000 for WA school children in need, and it’s hoped that even more can be raised this year.
People can donate to Vinnies’ appeal at www.vinnies.org.au/WA.