Moneycare celebrates 20 years
Armidale’s Moneycare financial counsellor, Sharon Gousteris. Photo: Adam Hollingworth
For the past 20 years, The Salvation Army’s Moneycare financial counselling service has helped thousands of individuals and families sort through their financial stresses.
Armidale Moneycare financial counsellor, Sharon Gousteris, says even though she’s only been in her role for the past year, she can already see the huge impact the service is having on people’s lives.
“It takes courage for people to look at their financial situation. It can be an emotional process for some people, but it can also be a powerful process,” she says. “As people work through things they can become empowered to believe in their own abilities. It is nice to see people moving forward and healing within.”
Sharon knows how difficult life can be. The Uralla local struggled financially when raising her four children and had to become very efficient at budgeting to make ends meet. “I can remember feeling very alone in my struggles and I had too much pride to seek any help,” she says.
The Salvation Army’s Moneycare service is one of the largest financial counselling services in Australia. A recently released independent report by Swinburne University found that Salvation Army financial counselling is effective and provides positive outcomes on a range of measures.
The report, based on a survey of 225 Moneycare clients, found that 41 per cent of respondents had experience harassment from creditors. It also found 32 per cent of all respondents reported owing a debt of $20,000 or more.
But after Moneycare financial counselling, 69 per cent of respondents felt more positive about the future, and 63 per cent felt their mental and emotional wellbeing had improved.
“We offer support so the client is not alone in sorting through their difficulties,” says Sharon. “Some people may have difficulty budgeting, so a money plan is useful for this reason. It also allows the client to feel they are in control of their money rather than their money controlling them.”
To mark the 20th anniversary of Moneycare, Sharon joined other Moneycare financial counsellors from NSW, ACT and Queensland at a Salvation Army financial counselling conference in Sydney on 11 April.
By Lauren Martin
Comments
No comments yet - be the first.