Lodge Master Ken White presents Leanne Petrides of the Cranbourne Information and Support Service with a cheque to go towards families in need. Picture: Luke Plummer.
By Sarah Schwager
CRANBOURNE families are doing it tougher than ever this Christmas after being hit with petrol, food and interest rate rises this year.
Leanne Petrides from the Cranbourne Information and Support Service (CISS) said the not-for-profit service, which offered crisis intervention, had been inundated with pleas from struggling families.
“Christmas is a luxury for most people,” she said.
“It is third priority for people this year after normal survival stuff like petrol and bills, and school costs.”
Ms Petrides said the organisation was already two months ahead of where it was last year in terms of the number of people seeking emergency relief.
“It is very scary,” she said. “We have had so many people come through.”
Cranbourne fundraising group the Lawson Poole Daylight Lodge (LPDL) decided to donate most of its funds from the year to CISS.
The lodge handed over a cheque for $700 to Ms Petrides on Tuesday at its annual Christmas luncheon.
LPDL secretary Bernie Rampton said members decided to donate the money to CISS as it meant it was going into the community where it was needed.
“This is not a rich area. People are faced with rising costs and mortgages and some do fall by the wayside,” he said. “Every bit helps and it’s nice to be able to help people in our local area.”
Ms Petrides said the money would go towards meat vouchers from McKay’s Family Butchers and Kmart vouchers for back-to-school items for families in need.
She said CISS had been overwhelmed by the support it had received from the community and thanked the lodge for its donation.
“Places like the Anglican Church, Lawson Poole, the Inner Wheel Club, Cranbourne Arthritis Group and Ulysses Club all make extra donations at Christmas on top of their donations during the year,” Ms Petrides said.
“They’re trying to raise their own funds to keep afloat yet they always see what else they can do to help others.
“We are really humbled.”
Mr Rampton said he felt the donation to CISS was one of the most deserving for the year.
He said the organisation supporting many of the vulnerable people in the community. “Some people just need a bit of extra help and they are able to go there.”
