For Anna’s family, the festive season will be a time of uncertainty and anxiety. Because this year, Christmas is something Anna simply can’t afford. Not when she can’t even afford to put food on the table each day. Can you help?

Please donate now to provide much-needed relief with an emergency hamper. Help vulnerable people like Anna make it through this Christmas without going hungry.

Anna is raising two teenage children on her own. Like so many parents, she’s been hit hard by the worsening cost-of-living crisis. All year, she's been cutting back on household expenses and being careful with her money. But, with prices spiralling out of control, it's getting harder to provide everyday basics for her children. Like so many vulnerable people in Australia, she has nothing left to cut back on. As prices continue to soar, what more can they give up?

When Anna first reached out for support, she was really struggling. She was devastated by the loss of her mother and didn't know how she would cover the funeral costs. The cramped, two-bedroom house she shared with her children was falling to bits and Anna was sleeping on the couch. They urgently needed a new home, but a shortage of housing options meant Anna struggled to find something she could afford to suit her family's needs.

Anna was connected with a Vinnies team member, Grace, who assisted her with food so she could feed her children. Grace helped Anna pay an overdue electricity bill and made sure her son Jaden had the school uniform he needed. She even helped cover removal costs when Anna finally found a better home to suit her family’s needs.

Your gift today can help provide essential food, clothing, living expenses and crisis support that families like Anna’s, and many others, urgently need to survive this Christmas and beyond.

The problem

Over the last year, the cost-of-living crisis has become increasingly dire as prices continue to soar and inflation is at some of the highest levels we’ve seen since the early 1990’s*. It's hitting families and other vulnerable members of our community incredibly hard. Many are experiencing poverty and struggling to keep a roof over their heads. As the crisis deepens, so does their desperation.

More and more people are so desperate to survive, they just don’t have the resources to think about Christmas. How can they begin to dream of buying the little extras that make Christmas so special when they can’t even afford to pay the bills?

*Source ABS

Your Impact

With more and more vulnerable people experiencing poverty and on the brink of homelessness this Christmas, we urgently need your help.

Your donation can help provide the emergency assistance families, and many others, desperately need to survive, and the long-term support they need to build better futures.

It can also help give a family like Anna's a Christmas food hamper so they can enjoy a special meal together and create precious memories.

“I know I will never have to reach rock-bottom again. I know I will never have to go hungry. I know Vinnies will be there for me.” – Anna