Each year in the lead-up to Christmas, the Dandenong Ranges Emergency Relief Service (DRERS) becomes a quiet lifeline for families across the hills who would otherwise go without during the festive season.
The organisation is once again calling for donations of non-perishable food items and unwrapped gifts for children aged 0 to 17 to ease the pressure on families facing hardship at the end of the year.
DRERS chief executive officer Tania Bevan said the donations help parents and caregivers who have reached out for support throughout the year to still experience some joy at Christmas.
“We invite them along to our Christmas program in December, and they can choose the gifts they know their children would love,” she said.
“This is why we seek them unwrapped, so the parents can actually choose the gifts.”
While the toys and presents are vital, Bevan said the demand for food has grown even more sharply.
“There are people in our community that don’t need gifts, they don’t have children or young people in their lives. They just want food to share at Christmas. Socialising with others is a very important part of Christmas,” she said.
The families who come to DRERS are in a wide range of circumstances, and Bevan said every person’s situation is unique.
“The thing they have in common is they’re seeking assistance. It can be severe financial hardship, it could be stress because of family violence. There’s so many different reasons why people need help,” she said.
“There’s more people coming to us who actually have mortgages now. We never used to see people seeking assistance who had mortgages. The cost-of-living is affecting people across the board.”
Moments from the Christmas program stay with the team long after the season has passed.
Bevan recalled the visible relief people feel when they realise they’ll be able to give their children something special, or contribute to a family gathering.
“You can see it when their shoulders lift up and they know that Christmas is going to be a little bit easier,” she said.
One year, a donated bicycle happened to be the exact gift a child had been hoping for.
“When the parent came in and saw the bicycle, they were overwhelmed, because that is what their child had asked for,” she said.
“It was one of those moments that you remember.”
Bevan said families with disabilities – whether parents or children often feel the strain more heavily at this time of year.
“Gift cards for the teenagers, because we all know teenagers can be difficult to get things for,” she said.
“Sporting goods are wonderful for the seven-to-twelve age group, and the little ones are always easy, books and sporting equipment are great for all ages.”
Bevan said the community’s generosity is widespread – from individuals, families, and a range of community organisations and schools.
“There’s just so, so much support in the community, and we are so lucky to be the go-between the supporters and the people who need support. It’s a very privileged position that we’re in,” she said.
The Christmas program is also a welcome boost for the volunteers and staff who work year-round in emergency relief.
“It can be very hard work, and sometimes you hear some really sad things,” she said.
“So the Christmas program is a time where we get a lot of joy, it’s a wonderful program to be involved in.”
Bevan believes people in the Dandenong Ranges are already deeply aware of the needs around them.
“I think the people of the Dandenong Ranges are very switched on. I’m sure everybody knows somebody who’s struggling,” she said.
“If people don’t know how to help, or it’s beyond them, it’s good to tell others they can come and get help here, our service is confidential – it’s free.”
Donations of non-perishables and unwrapped gifts are accepted until DRERS closes for the year on 22 December, before reopening on 15 January.
Online donations can be made at any time through the DRERS website.
“We can’t do it alone,” Bevan said.
“Every time someone helps us, it goes a long way, and we’re really grateful.”
