More financial counsellors will be recruited to deliver support in bushfire-affected towns, with funding from the federal government.
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Upper Murray Family Care has been responding to the needs of community members since the summer's bushfires.
The team of counsellors will now be expanded, with $100,000 to support their work not just in areas damaged by fire, but in Wodonga, Indigo and Wangaratta.
Family relationship services manager Janine Lawler said the funding would also enable them to do more in areas impacted in NSW.
"We've got a team of nine, so with this new money, we'll be able to build on what we've been doing but also recruit more financial counsellors," she said.
"What they're mainly doing with the bushfire-affected people is supporting them with applications for grants, following things up, and liaising directly with creditors and banks, to help take away some stress.
"Our senior financial counsellor went to a special day at Jingellic last month, where all the service providers got together.
"COVID-19 has obviously had a big impact on how we deliver our service; we haven't been able to get out and about as much as what we would like.
"But we've been able to do a lot of phone work, and recently we've recommenced out at the hub at Bright, where the hub has opened.
"We're working on getting back into the hub at Corryong at the moment."
At the Bright hub, the financial counselling program was able to manage communication with two institutions on behalf of one client, and apply for bushfire-related grants.
Ms Lawler said this was an example of the support they could provide, and said a major focus was spreading the word about the free service.
"We're advertising quite widely about what we're doing, because we're concerned people aren't aware that we are there to support bushfire-affected communities," she said.
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"Part of that is, with rural communities, they're not used to asking for help.
"We encourage people to get in contact.
"It's focused on financial issues, but there's other work that happens and they can be linked into other services."
Ms Lawler said there was also generalist financial counselling available, with the team based out of a building leased by UMFC next to its headquarters on Stanley Street.
"We provide free support for anyone who has some vulnerabilities and is struggling with money worries," she said.
People can get in contact by calling (02) 6055 8000, or by emailing financialcounsellors@umfc.com.au.
