For Shazz, surviving on a fixed pension meant facing the constant strain of choosing between basic groceries, mounting utility bills, and her personal independence.
After hearing about Community Gateway through word of mouth during a period of severe financial hardship, she found a welcoming space at the Lismore Community Hub that fundamentally transformed her mobility and quality of life.
“It’s places like this that help the community, the ones that are doing it the hardest, like myself, because we’ve got nowhere else to go.”
“I’ve been coming to this place for the last three years and they’ve been very, very helpful. I’ve come here at least six times a year to get a little help with food, you know, some loans, meals…stuff like that.
Word of mouth brought me here. I was at the soup kitchen and doing it very hard and somebody that had been here said, ‘Come here, they’ll help you,’ and I did. I met Kristin, I don’t know all their names, but every…person that works here is really nice.”
At Community Gateway, we know hardship is rarely a single issue.
Our integrated hub model ensures a simple visit for emergency food relief, becomes an entry point to complete, wrap-around care. By linking practical food relief, interest-free credit, counselling support, and healthcare under one roof, we ensure no one has to face crisis alone.
“…this place is one of the biggest places that helps. Food…loans, and counselling. We’ve got a free doctors here, nurses, everything comes here. It’s really good. Women’s week, men’s days.
When I come here, I didn’t know what I was doing. I got Kristin, and she was like, ‘You should go for a car loan.’ I said, ‘Oh,’ going for a car loan? Didn’t think I could, you know? And then she goes, ‘Oh, we can help you get one.’
She helped me fill out all the forms, help you with everything. It’s so great. All I had to do really was sign and give my details. They did everything. And then I got my loan. Within, like, six weeks, I got a $5,000 loan, right? It was so amazing. And then, like, six weeks after that, I had ‘See Ya.’ That’s my car. That’s her name, yeah. She’s really great.”
Financial resilience requires a balance between achieving long-term milestones and meeting immediate, daily survival needs. By pairing major interventions with minor reliefs like energy vouchers and emergency groceries, we give individuals the breathing room required to stabilise their lives.
“…I was walking everywhere. They helped me get my car… and yeah, with other bills as well. They helped with the electricity. You know, just support when you needed somebody to talk to as well.
The pantry, oh, that’s the biggest thing. The pantry, you get food. Like I said, I come here like six times a year and they help me out, you know, because I’m only on a pension and everything’s getting expensive. I can come here and I can get my 10, 12 items and then, yep, every couple of weeks… that’s enough to get you through to your next.”
“[Now] I can go and visit my grannies…in Queensland. So I can drive up now and come back with them, take them swimming…I can go to my appointments too, you know, like my doctors and all that other stuff, shopping.”
I try to bring as many people I can because they help me so well. If they can help me, they can help anybody. They’ve got counselling, they’ve got a pantry as well. I don’t know what I’d do without this place.
Don’t be hesitant. Don’t be, because everybody here is friendly, they’re here to help, they want to help. You know, it’s not just a job, they want to do it.”
