This has led to the proposition that Echuca Neighbourhood House may be forced to close its doors if nothing is done soon.
The fallout of the 2022 flood disaster has left many not-for-profit organisations in the region under duress, attempting to provide aid to displaced people.
The house offers a range of community services and initiatives to help people who need them most, and it has become a vital institution in the area.
Some of their important services include a food bank, no-interest loans, a community garden, free food, social activities, cooking classes, digital literacy, self-help groups, a tax help program, a winter coat drive, learning classes, homeless showers, and laundry, among many others.
The house only receives funding from the Victorian Government for a paid manager position for 30 hours a week and an annual council contribution; everything else comes from fundraising and donations.
They also only ask for a small donation, if possible, from people who utilise some of their services, such as the food bank.
Mr Crane highlighted that the volunteers and organisation are too overwhelmed and spread too thin to raise funds.
“Echuca Neighbourhood House is in dire straits for cash; we have that many community things going, and we are thin on the ground for people,” he said.
“We’ve spent a little bit more on the flood recovery than anticipated, but we are just not getting donations or fundraising.
“We haven’t been able to do any fundraising as we have been too flat out.
“We have been too focused on helping the people in the town and community rather than looking at the financials.”
Echuca Neighbourhood House secretary Cheryl Russell mentioned the increase in people coming in to use food bank, shower and laundry services, a by-product of the cost-of-living crisis and the 2022 flood disaster.
“We are getting more and more people coming into the food bank, and we are very grateful for the assistance we get from the groceries, but we still have to buy food from Foodbank Australia, and that’s at a cost to us,” she said.
“There are still people affected by floods, and more are coming in all the time. Our relief efforts reached as far out as Barmah and Rochester; it’s a lot to cover.
“It has gotten to the point where we are doing 14 food boxes daily, and homeless people are coming in every day or two to shower and clean their clothes.”
Mr Crane emphasised the need for funding and donations for Echuca Neighbourhood House to continue positively impacting the community and surrounding areas.
“We are looking mainly for fundraising and donations, to seek support so we can keep operating; otherwise, we won’t be able to keep doing things like food bank and others,” he said.
“It’s not simply a matter of closing one of the organisations down; if you close one, it cuts in half the effect we can have on the community and how much we can do for the people.
“If we don’t receive any funding or support, we will be forced to close our doors.”
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