Basics needed along with cheer
Imagine not having a spare $4 for a rubbish bag, or having to share your toothbrush with other family members.
For some struggling Nelson families that’s a reality and support agencies are making a plea for donations of day-to-day items amongst the Christmas donations of toys and chocolate.
Te Korowai Trust community social worker Carole Sharp said it was ‘‘the ‘‘practical stuff’’ that many families required including deodorants, toiletries and council rubbish bags.
She said rubbish bags, at $4 each, often weren’t affordable for those on low income households. ‘‘They can’t afford rubbish bags and so their house is disgusting because it’s all piling up outside.
‘‘Then you’ve got the health and hygiene issue. It’s a vicious downward spiral.’’
She said mounds of rubbish in some gardens attracted rats which meant children did not want to play outside.
‘‘They’re being told they’re being neglectful, but actually they just can’t afford basic rubbish bags.’’
Sharp said the struggle to make ends meet had a knock-on effect. Some children were missing out on education because parents could not afford to put fuel in their cars to take them to school.
Other barriers for school attendance included teenage girls not being able to access sanitary products.
Among other important items left off the shopping list due to tight incomes were deodorant and washing powder.
Sharp said that caused a ripple effect of teenagers being bullied at school ‘‘because they stink and haven’t got clean clothes’’.
She said visiting families in their homes showed first hand what happened when basic items were missing. Many of the volunteers and workers used their own money to make sure the famil- ies didn’t go without.
‘‘Some of us pay for things like that out of our own pocket and we won’t be the only non-government agency doing it.’’
Nelson Salvation Army Captain Kenneth Walker said there were 1000 families in the Nelson Tasman region who would be receiving help this Christmas through the Salvation Army.
‘‘When I think about it, I go, how can that be?’’
He said while the ‘‘practical solutions’’ of toiletries and household products wouldn’t be given as Christmas presents, they were certainly handy.
The families who needed a bit of Christmas cheer were the same families who sought food and other assistance from organisations, he said.
‘‘Everybody needs a toothbrush and toothpaste. Things that you use to keep life ticking along, those things don’t stop.’’
Christmas supplies were being dropped to Salvation Army collection points ‘‘all the time’’, he said, but they always needed more outdoor sports equipment. ‘‘There’s never enough outdoor stuff – balls, games, bats.’’
Walker said more presents were also needed for boys aged between 12 and 14, including Lego.
He said donations of festive food were also welcome to ‘‘bring that cheer’’. ‘‘At a time of year when everyone is wrapped up in the joy of Christmas, for some families, it’s a time of hardship and stress. It’s good to remind people their generosity does change lives.’’
Presents for the Salvation Army can be donated until Friday, December 15. Items received after that date are held for the following year.