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General News

22 December, 2022

Help is just one call away this Christmas

While Christmas is a joyous time for the community, for some it can be equally challenging, exacerbating stress and grief — but help is only a call away. Lifeline Loddon Mallee, a crisis support service, is urging people to donate to their...

By Prealene Khera

Help is just one call away this Christmas - feature photo

While Christmas is a joyous time for the community, for some it can be equally challenging, exacerbating stress and grief — but help is only a call away.

Lifeline Loddon Mallee, a crisis support service, is urging people to donate to their Christmas appeal as they prepare to take on more calls during the holiday season.

As the festive weekend approaches, Lifeline Australia has advised that the stress levels of all Australians will increase, and it is expected that relevant services and support will be needed like never before.

Extreme weather outlooks, more COVID waves, increased inflation, homelessness and consumer price index are having vast and varied effects on the population as a whole according to Lifeline Loddon Mallee executive officer Lisa Renato.

“The holidays can be challenging for so many reasons — stress, grief, loneliness, financial worries, complex relationships, and even the expectations we place on ourselves,” she said.

“Just $39 funds one life-saving call to our crisis support line this holiday season.

“One call is all it takes to make a difference to someone in need. A trained crisis supporter will be there to listen without judgement and provide practical, short-term solutions around the clock to anyone living in the Loddon Mallee.”

The organisation’s call centres located in Bendigo and Irymple answer calls from the national 13 11 14 hotline — last year 18,000 calls were answered. They also provide crisis support to residents of the Loddon Mallee.

Currently, 80 active volunteers provide life saving crisis support to locals. These volunteers come from across the region and include those who reside in Carisbrook, Maryborough and Dunolly.

“Volunteering with Lifeline is not an easy commitment, what keeps me coming back is that the calls to our centre, are just ordinary community members, who are looking for support and connection, just like me,” a current Lifeline volunteer said.

“I volunteer because I believe deeply in responsibility and rights. To benefit from a community, you must contribute to that community.”

Donating to Lifeline’s appeal will help them recruit and train a further 35 volunteers in 2023 to meet the demand of regional communities.

It costs around $3500 to train a new volunteer following which each trained member can answer approximately an additional 312 calls per year.

Visit the website mycause.com.au to donate to Lifeline Loddon Malle.

If you need support during the holidays, you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or through their online text service 0477 131 114.

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