Emergency Relief

Is the provision of assistance to people in a crisis or emergency. Many people don’t have enough money or resources to meet their most basic needs (eg. there could be too many bills due at once).

How can this service help?

We can offer people assistance in two ways: 1. Give financial aid to meet an immediate need (eg. food vouchers, cheques for bills, etc.) and / or, 2. Offer a service which informs people of the other options available for their needs (ie. information, referral & advocacy).

Am I eligible for this service?

  • If you are in a crisis (especially financial), and
  • You live in the Bellingen town or catchment area (ie. Thora, Kalang, Gleniffer, Brierfield, see more below).

How do I use this service?

This service operates from the Bellingen Neighbourhood Centre on: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10.30am-2.30pm. For bookings phone 66551239 You MUST have an appointment or you will not be seen.

What happens at the appointment?

When you arrive at your appointment, you will be greeted by the front desk volunteer and asked if you brought appropriate ID. We accept:

  • Driver’s Licence OR
  • Health Care / Pension Card

ID must show name & address.

Then the Emergency Relief volunteer on duty will show you into the interview room and ask you a few questions to see if we can assist you. You will then receive relevant support.

Values

The Bellingen Neighbourhood Centre Emergency Relief service works within human rights and social justice principles. This means that you can expect our volunteers to treat you with respect, dignity and without judgment. This service is about offering freedom of choice and empowering people who are in difficult or vulnerable positions.

Funding

The Emergency Relief service is funded by the Commonwealth Department for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA).

Areas we cover

We are only funded to cover the Bellingen town and areas close by. This includes Bellingen, Brierfield, Darkwood, Fernmount, Gleniffer, Gordonville, Kalang, Sunny Corner and Thora. There are Emergency Relief services available in Urunga and Dorrigo at the St Vincent de Paul Centres there. If you live in those areas, it is better if you see them for assistance, as they are funded to cover those areas.

EAPA (Electricity Bill Assistance)

The Department of Community Services provides the Neighbourhood Centre with EAPA vouchers to assist people who are in a crisis and can not make full payments on their electricity account. Appointments for this service are necessary and proof of Identification and the original bill must be brought to the interview.

TELSTRA Vouchers

Telstra provides the Neighbourhood Centre with vouchers to assist people who are in crisis and cannot make full payments on their Telstra home telephone account. The Telstra vouchers cannot be used for bills from other telephone companies nor can they be used to cover mobile phone bills, internet costs, connection/disconnection charges or business phone lines. Appointments for this service are necessary and proof of Identification and the original bill must be brought to the interview.