Christmas appeal help urged as poverty bites

The grim reality of Nelson’s rising poverty is set to hit home for many families this Christmas, the Salvation Army says.

It is launching its annual Christmas appeal today, and was preparing for increased need as numbers needing help climb leading into the festive season.

This Christmas season the organisation said more than 17,000 families across the country were expected to seek its for food support, budgeting, counselling, education, advocacy and accommodation assistance.

From July to September this year, the number of people in the Nelson-Tasman region needing help with food parcels alone rose 10 per cent on the same time last year to more than 300 families — and Christmas was expected to be even busier.

Salvation Army Nelson and Tasman Bays Community Ministries director captain Kenneth Walker said his staff had been ‘‘unbelievably busy’’ as high rents and the rising cost of living leave more people homeless or barely scraping by.

For those families living in desperate need, poverty doesn’t take a break at Christmas, he said.

‘‘The Army in Nelson works closely with people to ensure they can enjoy Christmas like we get to and to help them make positive changes for the future.’’

Walker said Nelsonians could give hope to these families in the region by donating to the Christmas appeal.

Funds raised would give people not only Christmas Day to enjoy, but also the tools and support needed to make positive changes.

‘‘The relationships we make when helping families at Christmas means we can keep working with them — so one Christmas gift can become an investment in life-long transformation.’’

Each year about 60,000 children benefit from the support provided to families – about one-in-five of the 300,000 children living in poverty in New Zealand.

The 2016 Technical Report on Child Poverty, based on Ministry of Social Development data, found that nearly one in three New Zealand children were living in poverty.

More than 5000 children are living in homes across Nelson and Tasman where the income is less than $28,000 a year or less than $550 per week.

Across Nelson and Tasman, there are 1450 children living in severe poverty. ‘‘This level of poverty, and the stress and heartache it brings can’t be justified,’’ said Salvation Army head of social services Major Pam Waugh.

‘‘How can we sit down to a nice Christmas Day meal, surrounded by loved ones, knowing there are thousands of families without anything to eat, let alone gifts under the tree?

‘‘We need to remember that there is no break for families living in poverty. The heart of Christmas is giving and that can start with us.’’

You can donate to the Salvation Army apeal at salvationarmy.org.nz by phoning 0800 53 00 00. or