In any given week Pam Tierney and her army of volunteers provide food, clothing and medication to at least 30 people in East Maitland alone.
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This, she says, is merely the tip of the iceberg.
In her role as diocesan social justice co-ordinator with the Maitland/Newcastle St Vincent de Paul Society, Ms Tierney is at the forefront of those in need and has now joined a call for politicians to focus on social justice issues in the lead up to the NSW election.
“What we are hearing on the ground is very sobering,” Ms Tierney said.
“People are telling us very clearly that they are struggling to keep their heads above water.
“As people struggle to pay their bills, put food on the table and pay their rent, we need to ensure that we use our grassroots network to keep people from falling deeper into despair.”
The St Vincent de Paul Society launched its Social Justice Statement to force the issues of housing affordability, rising energy costs and wider cost of living pressures and asylum seekers and refugees into the spotlight.
The launch urged all political parties to outline their policies to the people of NSW as well as support the key recommendations included in the statements.
“We take this opportunity to call on our local representatives as well as all political parties in NSW to hear what ordinary people are telling them and put these issues firmly on the agenda for the upcoming election,” Ms Tierney said.
During the past year the Maitland Newcastle Central Council has provided more than $2.5 million worth of assistance to the local community in the way of rent expenses, food vouchers, utility bill support and other expenses.
“In the society’s East Maitland Conference alone we have 14 to 16 volunteers and we see on average 30 people a week to whom we deliver food or give clothing, prescriptions, help with energy bills and sometimes we help with rent,” Ms Tierney said.
“But this is just the tip of the iceberg because people are so embarrassed to have to ask for help and I can understand their reticence.”
Each day St Vincent de Paul members visit almost 600 people in their homes and in hospitals, prisons, nursing homes and detention centres.
“We have to talk about this and we have to raise our voices because we are unable, otherwise, to influence policy and perhaps change direction,” Ms Tierney said.
“We have to inform the government what the issues are. Policies have to be informed policies. I think the government is becoming better at consulting but that doesn’t always to listening.”
