With winter just around the corner, Lutheran Care has today launched its 2026 Winter Appeal: Don’t let their stories go unheard.

As the temperatures begin to drop, many of us are feeling the pinch of the cost-of-living crisis, but none more so than the most vulnerable in our communities.

Lutheran Care is walking alongside many families and individuals doing it tough right now, but demand is outpacing what we can provide in our Emergency Relief service.

Lutheran Care’s Deb (pictured above) is often the first friendly face people see when they walk through our doors in need of Emergency Relief at Blair Athol.

For many, it’s not an easy step. There’s often shame and embarrassment.

Everyone has a story and Deb is a good listener. Every day, new clients walk through the door with a story to tell.

One that has stayed with Deb though is an elderly gentleman who came in last winter. He’d been experiencing homelessness and brought everything he owned with him.

“It had been pouring. He was drenched,” Deb remembers. “All his stuff, sopping wet.”

The first thing she did was give him a voucher for the Lutheran Care Op Shop.

“Go next door, and get some dry clothes,” she told him. “Go and get changed and then we can talk.

“I made him a coffee and tried to warm him up,” Deb shares.

Once the man was more comfortable, Deb sat down with him and listened to his story, so she could connect him with what he needed. Food, a blanket, a warm sleeping bag. Advice. Support to access our homelessness services.

Deb understands what it’s like more than many, as she has also seen hard times in her life.

She remembers the woman who’d been sleeping in her car because her home was smoke damaged from the Kangaroo Island bushfires. She couldn’t afford repairs and her husband was in hospital. She didn’t know what to do.

She also remembers the woman who was distraught as she’d lost her house and had to move into a caravan.

Every one of these clients was able to share their story and be connected with the support they needed, which starts with no-judgement and a listening ear.

To demonstrate just how much the need is deepening, from the start of July 2025 to the end of March this year, we had 847 families access our Emergency Relief service. This was up from 792 families during the same period last year.

More than a third (38%) of these families were also seeking help for the first time.

It seems as soon as we put food on the shelves, it’s gone. Each day, at least 17 people are turned away and asked to return the following day.

Our team, including Deb, make sure they don’t leave empty handed – we provide food for the night – but we can’t keep up.

This winter, you can help us make a difference by making a financial contribution to our Winter Appeal.

Every donation helps people access essentials such as food, bedding, clothing and vouchers, as well as longer-term support like counselling, financial counselling, homelessness services and education.

If you’re in a position to donate, we appreciate any support you can give.

Read more about our winter appeal story here

Donate today
All donations $2 and over are tax deductible.