EVERY year, hundreds of thousands of people access financial assistance from the Salvation Army, with more than 15,000 receiving financial counselling in 2018 alone.
As part of ‘Anti-Poverty Week 2019’, the Salvation Army’s MoneyCare financial counselling and capability service is holding a free information day to help people on the road to financial wellbeing.
Anyone interested or needing help managing their finances are invited to attend the local session at Salvation Army Corp, 99 Nixon Street, Shepparton, from 10am-3pm on Tuesday, October 15.
There will be presentations throughout the day on how to utilise the MoneyCare services, along with representatives in attendance from water, gas and energy companies for a ‘Bring Your Bills’ session, designed to answer questions. Consumer Affairs Victoria will also be offering advice and there will be information on zero-interest loans, and navigating Centrelink.
Head of MoneyCare, Tony Devlin, encourages the community to reach out before hitting crisis point. Financial councillors can help provide options that are safer and more effective than risky forms of borrowing or going to commercial providers for help.
“Pay day loans, buy now pay later, and consumer leases (goods rental) are often acquired when people find themselves in financially vulnerable situations. However, these arrangements will usually only worsen the problem,” Mr Devlin said.
“MoneyCare financial counsellors are powerful advocates. Not only can they help you address your current financial situation, they can also help you build longer-term capability and resilience, so you can stay on top of your finances.”
MoneyCare will be holding more than 30 financial wellbeing expos around Australia as part of Anti-Poverty Week. For more information or to find your nearest service, visit www.salvos.org.au/moneycare
