AFTER persistent lobbying, the Margaret River Community Resource Centre has had their emergency relief funding restored.
The federal government funded program has provided an important service to the community for over 20 years.
In December last year, the centre was notified that funding would stop for the program in June 2015.
Margaret River Community Resource Centre committee of management chair Sally Hays said there was immediate concern for how the change would impact the people on a day to day basis.
The emergency relief provides a small amount of financial assistance to help individual and or families through a short term crisis.
This would include a voucher to buy some groceries or fill a prescription or assist with fuel towards attending a medical appointment.
Ms Hays said the lobbying included contacted federal member for Forrest Nola Marino, WA Council of Social Services, Uniting Care and other affected organisation who had lost funding.
They also wrote to all WA federal members seeking support for a review of the decision.
After a meeting with WA Greens senator Rachel Siewert, there was an inquiry into the department of social services process to decide how and where the funding would be offered.
On February 17, the centre was granted an interim of $2,100 to help adjust to the changes.
“On 1 April we were relieved and thrilled to receive a phone call from department of social services saying a review had been undertaken to identify service delivery gaps and the centre would receive a new offer of $25,000 to June 2017,” Ms Hays said.
She said now the centre could continue to provide relief to people in need within the community, offer moral support and referral services, work with local businesses to assist people and stay a member of Foodbank so people could access groceries.
