Emergency Relief Resources
Neighbourhood and Community Resource Centres respond quickly to local needs, providing trusted support as cost of living pressures increase demand for emergency relief across WA. Emergency relief includes food, toiletries, clothing, blankets, and vouchers, each with specific health and safety considerations.
Alongside emergency relief, Centres offer wrap around services such as financial counselling, wellbeing programs, family and employment support, and social connection - all in one safe, familiar place.
The following resources and links to services can help you to respond to local needs and support your community either through your Centre of by referring to and/or partnering with other organisations. Please note that depending on the type of emergency relief you provide you need to be satisfied that you are aware of and compliant with all the relevant legislation.
Related services
Financial Counselling
- National Debt Helpline: Offers free, independent and confidential financial information and support provided by financial counsellors. They can also help find other support services in your community.
- Financial Counsellors’ Association of WA: Helps you locate the nearest financial counsellor. These financial counsellors work for not-for-profit organisations and can help people in your community sort out debts and work with creditors.
- Rural Financial Counselling Service WA: For farmers, foresters, professional fishers or small business operators supporting these industries.
Other Finance Supports
Emergency and Food Relief
- WAConnect: WAConnect is a free online directory that helps people in Western Australia find local community and emergency relief services, including food, accommodation, financial assistance, health, and wellbeing support. It allows users to search in real time by service type and location, providing contact details, opening hours, and directions to make accessing help easier. The platform is managed by WACOSS and is designed for both people seeking assistance and community service providers.
- Emergency Relief and Food Access Service: Provides support in identifying and applying for emergency relief.
- Food Community: Edith Cowan University has developed a website to support healthy food availability, access, and food security in rural WA. Watch this brief (7 min) video for an overview of the website and how CRCs and regional / remote NCs can use its features to help promote food security in your communities. Note: while the video does mention CRCs it is not meant to exclude NCs.
Other Supports
- GIVIT: GIVIT supports all agencies, services and charities in Australia who work directly with impoverished, marginalised and vulnerable people. GIVIT makes it easier for organisations to empower their clients and improve quality of life by obtaining the items they require through the website, at no cost.
- Emergency Support Volunteering: Volunteering WA is coordinating those who want to volunteer with those organisations that need volunteers during this pandemic.