The COVID-19 crisis will hit homeless and most vulnerable the hardest

In a heartfelt plea to the community, St. Vincent de Paul society CEO, Lara Alexander has asked Tasmanians to consider the homeless and vulnerable as COVID-19 continues to impact the state.

In a response to actions being taken by the Australian Government and the $420m stimulus package announced by the Tasmanian Government, Mrs Alexander said that financial support to help the economy was welcome, but the COVID-19 crisis will hit homeless and most vulnerable the hardest in our communities and they must not be forgotten.

“Announcements made by the State and Federal Governments are a reminder to us all that we need to listen to public health advice to keep ourselves, our families, our neighbours and our communities safe. This includes the most vulnerable in our society, many of whom have nowhere to go, are more susceptible to infection, spend most of their day on the streets, and – at best – have only communal areas to sleep and eat,” Mrs Alexander said.

“The St. Vincent de Paul Society will continue to offer as many services as we can during the COVID-19, but new guidance means everyone should be minimising their social contact, reducing unnecessary travel, and staying at home. This includes our members and volunteers, who we must protect while continuing the good works of the Society.

“Our plea today is two-fold…

“…to anyone in need of support or assistance from St. Vincent de Paul Society, please call on us as you would do in normal circumstances; but please be patient. While the Society will offer as much assistance as we can, our limited resources, and the health and safety of our members and volunteers is our priority. You may notice an increase in our screening process, which is as much to help you as it is to keep our team safe, but we will continue to offer as much assistance as we can.

“…to our generous donors, what we need most now is cash donations. While we cannot distribute food parcels as easily as normal, we can offer food vouchers to those in need so they can continue to receive food for nourishment to help fight COVID-19. If we get to the stage of closing schools, this need will grow exponentially.

“The Society would also ask that people hold on to their donations of clothing and furniture until after the worst of COVID-19 situation has passed. Limited staff means that we do not have the capacity to warehouse and distribute your generous donations as we do under normal circumstances.

“Finally, we at St. Vincent de Paul Society invite everyone to become honorary Vincentians for the duration of the COVID-19 epidemic. Telephone your neighbours to reduce the feelings of loneliness, offer to pick up a few items of shopping for those who are housebound when you are going to the shops, and help keep everyone safe and healthy by adhering to and disseminating information from the Tasmanian Government Health Department’s website about COVID-19.

“COVID-19 is set to challenge us in ways many of us have never experienced before. Amid the uncertainty one thing is for sure: we are confident that Tasmanians will work together and help each other over the coming months. Our goal at the St. Vincent de Paul Society is that no-one should get left behind – and this will focus our efforts as we face up to the crisis.

“This is going to be a tough period and things will change every day – but we can get through it by thinking of each other with every action; and taking care of the most vulnerable in our communities, our neighbours, and ourselves,” Mrs Alexander said