But asking for help isn’t easy, mum says

Single mother-of-three Jacinta Kerepeti Gillbert knows about trying to get a budget to stretch. And, sometimes, the budget just doesn’t budge to cover costs.

Kerepeti Gillbert, of Invercargill, says her benefit barely covers her $320 a week rent.

With three boys, 7-year-old Jack, 6-yearold Jimi and 4-year-old Joseph, paying for food, school uniforms and basic needs had been a struggle. ‘‘I have uniforms to buy and, with three lads, they eat more food each day,’’ she said.

With her youngest son about to start school, she was trying to get her budget to cover the growing costs.

Along with her sons’ needs, her 73-yearold mum, who has a type of lung disease and needs help, often stays with her.

Keeping her family fed often led to her being run down. After being sick with exhaustion twice in the past year her state of mind was ‘‘down and gloomy’’, she said.

At her darkest, Kerepeti Gillbert said she had no direction with how to pay her bills month to month. ’’I’d fall behind and had a disconnection notice [on electricity] for three years.’’

Having to move several times and a vet bill of $2000 had made life hard.

The ‘‘knocks in life’’ had certainly damaged her confidence, she said. ‘‘ I became isolated and shut off from asking for help.’’

She was embarrassed about accepting help and being given vegetables and firewood. But she had turned her life around with the help of volunteers connected to the St Patrick’s School parish..

‘‘I completely did a 360 since this time last year.’’

They ‘‘smooth over the bumps’’, she said.

Volunteers helped give financial advice, help with childcare and provide vegetables and firewood to her family, she said.

‘‘They helped enormously. I was really struggling.’’