4Cs in Pakenham forced to shut doors after lack of funding
Thousands of homeless and disadvantaged families in Melbourne’s southeast will be left “destitute” as a crisis centre shuts its doors due to lack of funding as volunteers plead for the council to “put their hands in their pockets” to help.
South East
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A Pakenham crisis centre that supports and feeds thousands of families a year has been forced to shut its doors just before Christmas as political funding dries up.
The 4Cs, which has been supporting 12,000 disadvantaged families annually for almost 20 years, will close up on December 1.
The centre has received more than $500,000 from the Cardinia Shire council in the past 10 years and $1.7 million from the Federal Government since 2008.
Cardinia shire chief executive Carol Jeffs said they hadn’t made a decision to stop funding 4Cs but the centre’s committee spokesman Tim Wilson said nothing has been pledged for 2020 and beyond and with growing demand from struggling families, it was impossible to keep going.
“The issue that’s forced us to close down has been an increase in demand, no secure funding and we had to plan for transition so we gave the Salvation Army enough time,” Mr Wilson said.
Mr Wilson said while the council and the Federal Government have been supportive in the past, the centre needed a commitment of at least $500,000 a year to keep up with community demands.
The Salvation Army will step in, with support from the council, offering emergency relief services from December 2.
But three-year volunteer Kathy, who did not want her surname used, fears the Salvos won’t be able to cope with demand.
“Every week we get a client sent to us that the Salvation Army couldn’t assist … how do they think they’re going to be able to take on the amount of clients that we have?” she said.
“The service we provide is like no other — we never keep anyone waiting and we give them a cuppa and a hot meal as soon as they walk in.”
She called on the council to “put their hands in their pockets and look after the most needy in their shire”.
Volunteer Jo Robertson said the community and her fellow staff were “devastated” by the imminent closure.
“We provide several services to those in need — including a food room that feeds thousands within our community — (so) the decision not to fund us is just heartbreaking,” she said.
“We fear it will leave thousands of people destitute with nowhere to go.”
Ms Jeffs said the council last year provided an additional $45,000 to the centre, as well as business planning support, planning advice and the co-ordination of services for the 2018 Christmas hamper program.
She said a “taskforce” of local community agencies, including the 4Cs, has collaborated on a partnered approach “to ensure these important community services continue to be offered to the community and to plan for a smooth and effective transition of services.”
La Trobe federal Liberal MP Jason Wood, who had previously secured $150,000 for the centre for 18 months, said the centre staff had put “their heart and soul into the community” but to make the centre work “we need all levels of government, particularly the state government who has never provided funding to support them“.
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A Department of Social Services spokeswoman said they had given 4Cs a commitment to fund every dollar that the organisation sought from the Federal Government this financial year.
“The Government thanks 4Cs for their work in the community and is grateful that 4Cs is working with us to ensure there are not gaps in emergency relief services for the local community,” the spokeswoman said.