ADJOURNMENT

Mrs PHILLIPS (Gilmore) (19:44): As we move into the colder months, I know that families across my electorate of Gilmore are facing increased cost-of-living pressures, and many people are trying to cope with housing stress, mental health challenges and, in some cases, the impacts of domestic violence. During winter, demand for assistance from our emergency relief services rises sharply, with energy costs, and many households are forced to make very difficult choices between heating their homes or meeting other basic needs.

For some, this time of year brings real and immediate anxiety. That's why wonderful organisations like St Vincent de Paul are so important. Last month I had the opportunity to attend a morning tea hosted by Ulladulla Vinnies.

It was a wonderful chance to meet with some of the people who are quietly doing extraordinary work in our community. I spent time with Milton/Ulladulla Conference President Maureen Dews, Regional President Anne Hayward, Wollongong Central Council President Peter Doris, and, importantly, the volunteers who make up this small but incredibly dedicated team. What struck me most was not just the scale of what they do, but the compassion and commitment behind it.

As we all know, in our communities there are many people doing it tough, often quietly and often unseen—families struggling to put food on the table; individuals facing isolation and loneliness; and others, through no fault of their own, finding themselves in real hardship. Over the past 12 months alone, Vinnies Ulladulla has assisted 576 people. Of those, 92 were seeking help for the very first time.

That tells its own story. In total, more than $136,000 worth of food and welfare assistance was provided—including 150 Christmas hampers for families who otherwise may have gone without during what should be a joyful time of year. Behind those numbers are real lives.

Organisations like Vinnies don't just provide practical support; they offer dignity, compassion and hope—a hand up, not just a handout. I'm really proud that, as some local families and individuals faced the prospect of a bleak winter, the Albanese Labor government announced an additional $11.7 million in funding to bolster emergency relief and financial counselling across Australia, including in Gilmore.

The extra funding will help local organisations—including the Bay and Basin Community Resources, Mission Australia, Southern Youth and Family Services, the Salvos and Vinnies—to meet the increased demand for their services. This is a 15 per cent boost in yearly base funding for each Commonwealth funded emergency relief provider. It means that our providers can help local families facing financial stress to access real, practical support, including things like food parcels, clothing and other essential items.

Our emergency relief and financial counselling organisations provide vital support across Gilmore, and this funding boost will help them meet the increased demand. Combined with Labor's tax cuts, increased wages, increases to social security payments, cheaper medicines, big increases to Commonwealth Rent Assistance, and cuts to student debt, Labor is making a real difference to help ease the cost of living.

I know times are tight, and no local family should be faced with the choice of putting food on the table or paying their bills. As a community, we are incredibly fortunate to have these organisations and selfless people like Maureen and her team of volunteers giving their time and energy to support others. Today I'd like to take this opportunity to say a sincere thankyou: thank you to Maureen, to Anne and to the many, many generous volunteers in our community who are making a genuine difference in people's lives, often when it matters most.

Not only do our volunteers help people in times of need, they make our community stronger and more resilient. But, as many of these volunteers become older, we need fresh pairs of hands to help carry the load. So I encourage everyone who has a few hours to spare to contact Vinnies, the Salvos or another community service organisation, and get involved.

Not only will you improve the lives of others, you will enrich your own life by giving back to your local community.