St. Vincent de Paul Society commits to NW Coast Communities

The St. Vincent de Paul Society is committed to meeting the needs of the North-west Coast during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the message the Society’s CEO, Lara Alexander, is eager to promote as it restructures its services across the coast to meet community needs and expectations.

“As most of our supporters are aware, the Society had to close our Vinnies stores across the state due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, in doing so, we remain committed to the community and helping those in need. The Society has shifted its focus to increase much-needed emergency relief services, to meet the increase in demand,” Mrs Alexander said.

“In the coming weeks, the Vinnies store in Smithton will be transformed into a hub to support the community with emergency relief assistance. We will also be working collaboratively with other local service providers and dedicated volunteers to serve the community at a time of increased need.

“We have also retrained a number of our retail staff to assist with our emergency relief programme, which includes our warehouse drivers who are actively participating in our ‘drive and drop’ activities, alongside the Society’s volunteer members.

“Whilst Vinnies stores are nice to have in the community, the long-term needs of many people who urgently require our support across Tasmania is, predominantly, around more essential emergency relief, such as food, utility bills, rent assistance, and other financial and emotional support.

“The Society is responding to the new, emerging needs in the community, which are potentially long-term, by re-purposing some of our retail locations as emergency relief operations. Our goal is to ensure Vinnies continued presence in local communities is relevant to local needs, through increased activities and services.

“Vinnies response to repurpose our service offering on the Northwest Coast is supported by consultation with the community and feedback from community leaders, local and State Government representatives, as well as other service organisations.

“The St. Vincent de Paul Society has provided support to families in need since 1833; and has had a presence in Tasmania since 1899. The Circular Head community has benefited from Vinnies presence through the dedication of local volunteer members who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes, aiding those in need,” Mrs Alexander said.

In the meantime, the Vinnies COVID-19 Social Recovery Team continues to ensure additional resources are available state-wide. These resources include food boxes, which are currently available to any Circular Head family that may be in need.

Support is available by contacting the St. Vincent de Paul Society’s Burnie Regional Office on 6435 2323. If you need emergency assistance during this challenging time, the St. Vincent de Paul Society will do all that it can to ensure local support is provided to families and individuals in need.