Salvos' Christmas in crisis
A charity which feeds and puts a roof over the heads of up to 30 people in need in Karratha each month has been forced to cancel its Christmas lunch because of a funding and volunteer crisis.
Despite increasing numbers utilising the Salvation Army in the town, an alarming decline in volunteers at the thrift shop has put the operation in peril.
The shopfront provides funds to the Salvo's emergency relief service which helps feed and shelter people for a variety of reasons including inability to pay bills, homelessness and hunger.
Karratha Salvos Captain Gerald Mitchell said revenue had fallen by about 25 percent since last year.
"It's right across the board - corporate donations are less than what they have been, the red shield appeal was well down on what we usually receive," he said.
"Meanwhile the demand for our emergency relief this year is higher than it's ever been because there's a downturn in the local economy, which means a lot more unemployment and more people doing it tough.
"Things like the Christmas hampers we provide for those in need will have to be drastically reduced, whether it's a smaller number or a lesser quality of produce."
With no regular volunteers left, Capt. Mitchell said it was a struggle to stay on the front foot.
He said the regular theft of goods donated to the store and large amounts of broken and poor quality goods being handed over have meant sellable products have also become increasingly sparse. For the past few months the Karratha Salvos manager Jasmina Zec has worn herself down doing the best she can to help around 80 people who come through the doors every day.
Mrs Zec said in her 17 years working at the store it had been like this before and it was always a difficult time.
"I have to push my assistant in the shop to do more and I'm very busy out the back," she said.
"It's tiring - I always feel really tired after work nowadays. We have so many people leaving town too which leaves us with so much more stuff to get through."
Capt. Mitchell said new volunteers would be a big boost for the Salvo's operations.
"Our biggest need is for people in the thrift shop sorting clothes, hanging them on the rack and taking rubbish to the tip," he said.
"We're looking for the right people - even if you can only do two hours at a time, whether it's one day a week or four, that's fine."
