Lutheran Care is marking Anti-Poverty Week (11-17 October) with two events in the Barossa Valley.

Firstly, the team will be at the Barossa Co-op Market Hall (1 Murray Street, Nuriootpa) on Tuesday 13 October, from 10am–2pm, chatting with locals about Lutheran Care’s services and how they can connect with them. The team will also be sharing how the generosity of the Barossa community makes a difference, whether through financial donations, volunteering or donating quality pre-loved goods to Lutheran Care or Elcies Thrift Store in Tanunda. Every contribution helps Lutheran Care support people and families experiencing hardship in the local community.

Then on Thursday (15 October), a free community event will be held at the Barossa Community Centre (25 Second Street, Nuriootpa) from 12.30pm-2pm. Everyone is welcome to come along and see inside the new centre, and find out what services are available from Lutheran Care at the centre as well as in nearby Tanunda. There will also be a free bbq lunch, free books for children, and vouchers for Elcies Thrift Store, Tanunda.

Anyone in a position to donate to the Lutheran Care Emergency Relief pantry is encouraged to bring along long-life pantry items or toiletry items to be distributed to people in need.

According to the ACOSS/UNSW Poverty in Australia 2023 report, as reported on the Anti-Poverty Week website, more than 13.4 Australians are living below the poverty line. This is more than 3.32 million people, and more than 1 in 10 people. This total includes 761,000 children or 1 in 6.

What is the poverty line? In Australia, the poverty line is generally defined as 50% of median household income. This was $489 a week for a single adult, $783 for a sole parent with two children and $1027 for a couple with two children in 2019-20. Many of those affected live in deep poverty – on average the ‘poverty gap’ (the difference between the incomes of people in poverty in various types of families and the poverty line) was $304 a week.

Poverty can affect almost every part of daily life. The Anti-Poverty Week website shares how when money is stretched too far, people may have to make difficult choices about housing, food, healthcare, heating and cooling, and other essentials. While many Australians are juggling household bills, people experiencing poverty may have to make impossible choices between basic needs. They may worry about losing their home, skipping meals, being unable to heat or cool their home, or not being able to see a doctor or afford essential medicines.

This lines up with what our teams are hearing from Lutheran Care clients. Emergency Relief client Lynne*, and her husband, took on emergency care of their five grandchildren at very short notice, and needed support from Lutheran Care multiple times to be able to feed the kids. Lynne gave an insight into life for them, sharing how important it is for her and her husband to get a pen and paper well before their Centrelink payday, and “work out a budget”.

“If you’re lucky that budget will come through for you but there is no room for error because let’s face it a bus ticket is a 3L milk; a cup of coffee is probably milk and bread,” Lynne said. “And even though that would bring you happiness at the time, you know that when you go home, you’re now going to have to think about milk and bread for the family.”

▶️ HIT PLAY ABOVE to hear Lynne share her situation in her own words. 

Demand for Lutheran Care’s Emergency Relief service continues to grow as families face rising housing, utility and grocery costs. Last financial year, 3,081 people accessed Emergency Relief, including 773 people who were new to the service, with 3,228 one-on-one appointments delivered. The service provided 1,958 emergency food hampers, including toiletry parcels, frozen meals and cleaning products, valued at more than $156,000, as well as $180,000 in supermarket, Foodbank, petrol and chemist vouchers. This was an increase from 1,598 hampers and $160,000 in vouchers in 2024–25. More than 25 per cent of Emergency Relief clients were new to the service last financial year. Demand for Emergency Relief in the Barossa Valley area alone has risen by 11 per cent based on the year before.

Need support in the Barossa Valley? Lutheran Care delivers services including:

• Emergency Relief
• Barossa Community Centre
• Financial Counselling
• Counselling
• Community Connections
• Children’s Contact Service
• Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme
• Tax Help
• Christmas Hampers
• Elcies Thrift Store, Tanunda
• Social Prescribing (Pilot Program, Adelaide Road Clinic, Gawler).

Get involved during Anti-Poverty Week.

• Visit the Lutheran Care popup stand at Barossa Co-op Market Hall (1 Murray Street, Nuriootpa) on Tuesday 13 October, 10am-2pm.
• Attend the Community Connect Day at Barossa Community Centre (25 Second Street, Nuriootpa) on Thursday 15 October, 12.30pm-2pm.
• Find out more about Anti Poverty Week here.

*Name has been changed to protect client’s privacy, however this is her real story in her own words and voice.