Aussies doing it tough at Christmas

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Aussies doing it tough at Christmas

6 yrs ago

There’s been an alarming increase in the number of Australian children who won’t receive Christmas presents this year, according to new Salvation Army research.

The research, commissioned through Roy Morgan as part of The Salvation Army’s Christmas Appeal, shows that 1.6 million Australians with children under the age of 10 will not be providing a Christmas present to their children this year. This is an increase of more than one million compared to last year’s figures.

The research also paints a bleak picture for Australians this Christmas, according to the Salvation Army’s Major Paul Moulds.

“People living on marginal incomes and tight budgets are already carefully managing how they spend their money but with power prices escalating, housing affordability getting worse and more Australians struggling to get enough paid work, it’s getting harder and harder for many people to keep their head above water,” Major Moulds said.

“This research is extremely disturbing and is precisely why we ask the public to dig deep and support our Christmas Appeal.”

The new research also reveals:

• A massive 735,000 Australians know 10 or more families who will experience financial hardship/poverty this Christmas.

• 69 per cent of those surveyed (equating to 13.2 million people) say Australians are losing the true meaning of Christmas.

• Eight million say the general public isn’t doing enough to help Australians in need at Christmas.

• A huge 13.1 million Australians know people who will be lonely this Christmas.

• 9.5 million Australians revealed ‘paying for Christmas is getting harder and harder every year’.

Major Moulds says the Salvos get more calls at Christmas than at any other time of year and that many people feel pain and loneliness at Christmas.

Do you know people who will be doing it tough this Christmas? Do you donate to charities over Christmas?

7 comments

Sophie

6 yrs ago

Yes..there are many people doing it tough not only at Christmas but all through the year...please help if you can..charities are stretched to the limit..

A gift for a child at Christmas is not too much to ask...

Banjo

6 yrs ago

Yes Thea, I agree and happy to say our church is overflowing with donations for which we are very grateful.

If you gave all the charities that seem to be begging every week of the year then you would go broke.

I thought it was illegal to beg and tell fortunes but there they are out there moaning bleating about their plight. I look after my family and friends and never give to beggers.

I might say a little prayer for them if they are lucky. LOL

catsahoy

6 yrs ago

must say i agree about the begging letters at christmas, i have been getting calls from places i have never heard off, i dont know if its illegal to beg, but i DID think it was illegal to just COLD CALL people, they are only supposed to call if you have requested them to do so, i do put groceries in the bin, when i see them, but safeway havent put one out this year, and i do put a present under COLES tree, it doesnt cost much to get a few small things, and hopefully some child will get a smile, but it is getting worse each year, with the price of everything going up, esp the utilities, i have cut down on the amout of food i buy at christmas, half of it is wasted,, so have just bought the bare essentials this year, as long as the kids have a good time, thats the main thing,

You are a good kind lady Cats

And so are you nobody

You’re finally seeing who the good people are on this site

cats an amazing lady

Was I talking to you Raffy Pete Plonker ? Mind your own business

Adrianus

6 yrs ago

Why not give the gift of kindness and love? Why does a gift need to have a comercial value?

PlanB

6 yrs ago

So many beggers -- all year I did give some to one after the earth quake and also to a few others and it was just months when they rang me and asked if I coud make that $50 EVERY month or more -- I told them that I was on a pension and they would never get another penny off me -- it costs a heap to pay these people and the charity gets darn all -- I do not mind buying a gift OR giving what I can afford to someone to help but never will I give to a so called Charity

Adrianus

6 yrs ago

PlanB, I used to donate regularly to charities but stopped for a couple of reasons. Firstly because the Rudd, Gillard governments were making life harder for me by wasting money and putting up taxes. And secondly because of the charities becoming aggressive comercial enterprises which dont pay tax. And thirdly, my goodwill is more direct these days, it often does not involve me giving money, but it's often something of value.

PlanB

6 yrs ago

There are people doing it tough all year -- shame that we can't stop all the waste like the fireworks etc etc and put the money where it counts -- we have already had 3 lots of fireworks here and its not even Xmas or New year yet what a waste

People in Australia do not know what doing it tough is yet. But they will because they have too much debt.

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Aussies doing it tough at Christmas

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