REGION - At least 20 people a week on the South Coast are having to turn to the charity of a local church to pay for the basic necessities of life.
Lew Saunders of Victor Harbor's Christian Gospel Centre said the Centre's Goolwa arm had lately been seeing about 15 people each week who found themselves without the money for day-to-day expenses.
"It is a lot of people," he said. "But that is the reality. There are people who find there is no other way of putting food on the table, or fuel in the car. It's not just the elderly. There are all sorts of people."
He said there had been a noticeable rise in the numbers of people needing help since just beforeChristmas.
"People are worried about heating, they're turning the heating off and putting on blankets," he said.
Mr Saunders said he was very concerned for people who didn't seek help and found themselves in increasing difficulties.
"It is usually the people who are most in need who don't come, ... until a friend refers them or Centrelink,” Mr Saunders said.
He said the centre was able to help people by giving them gift cards to spend at supermarkets or fuel or clothing vouchers.
"Everyone is assessed, because we don't have the funds to just hand money out to everyone.
"But people are coming to us saying 'how can I get through this'. They come when they are desperate,” he said.
The Member for Finniss, Michael Pengilly, confirmed he had seen a "considerable" rise in the number of people coming to his electorate office to try and get something done about fuel prices and the cost of living.
"Unfortunately there is not a lot I can do," he said.
He said many people wanted to see better public transport in the area, to help them keep their costs down.
"There are two types of retirees here," he said. "The self-funded retirees who are not too badly off and then the number of pensioners who move down here because it is a nice place to live. But not having family nearby and the lack of public transport really increases their costs."
"I'm finding it across the whole electorate. People are just struggling to cope with the cost of fuel, food and electricity and water."
Mr Pengilly said his mother, herself a pensioner, had just received an electricity bill of $700.
"She nearly fell over," he said. "But she has had a heart attack and was told she had to keep the house warm so she just has to do it."
"The cold winter has exacerbated the problems for a lot of people."
Mr Saunders said people who needed help should contact him at the Christian Gospel Centre on 8552 6007.
"There are people out there who are sitting there, night after night, worrying about things," he said. "We may be able to help them."
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