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EMERGENCY RELIEF SERVICES
If you live in one of the following Frankston City suburbs, you may be eligible for support at CSF: 3199, 3198, 3200, 3201, 3910, 3911 (Langwarrin South only) and 3977 (Skye and Sandhurst only).
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For assessment you will be required to produce current identification with your name and Frankston address (ie: Centrelink Card or Driver’s Licence, photo ID).
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CSF works in partnership with other local agencies and organisations to help create a Frankston where everyone has access to the resources, services and opportunities that enables people to have a standard of living equal to one that’s enjoyed by the majority.
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All services at Community Support Frankston are provided free of charge.
Community Support Frankston is one of the busiest agencies of its type in Victoria with over 17,000+ cases of supporting vulnerable individuals and families in the past year.
Other Services who co-locate at CSF, include:
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Services Australia (Centrelink) support workers
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Mental Health Legal Clinic solicitors
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Orange Sky Laundry volunteers
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Bolton Clarke Homeless Person’s Program
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Tax Help
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Optometrist Clinic
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AREAS OF ASSISTANCE
Community Support Frankston’s Emergency Relief (ER) program is our core business, responding to requests for help from financially disadvantaged community members that are crippled with housing and cost of living pressures. More than just food support, our 80+ volunteers and staff provide a friendly and understanding service to people with nowhere else to turn for help, desperate to make ends meet.
If you live in the Frankston area, we may be able to offer Emergency Relief assistance including:
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Emergency food parcels
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Grocery vouchers
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Help with utility bills
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Assistance with vital medication expenses
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Essential travel costs
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Car registration and repairs
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Whitegoods
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Laundry
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Toiletries/personal hygiene products
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Baby Goods
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Educational needs
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Clothing / uniforms
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Housing related needs
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Referrals to other agencies/organisations
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Advocacy
Note: Assistance is never given out in cash
Emergency Financial Help
A major unexpected situation or event may prevent you paying for essential items like food, accommodation, gas, electricity, medicine, counselling, etc. Depending on your circumstances, we may be able to provide advocacy or referral to an appropriate service for further assistance.
Advocacy
We can also provide assistance on behalf of clients in helping to negotiate with a government department, financial institution, landlords or essential service providers if you are experiencing problems or the inability to pay.
Crisis Intervention
We can provide direct assistance or organise referrals for people experiencing problems in their lives.
You can seek assistance with:
• Personal and family issues
• Personal finances
• Accommodation
• Family violence
• What else can we assist with?
OR for any other problem causing distress.
HOW WE ASSESS YOUR NEEDS
We first require you to contact us by telephone on (03) 9783 7284 and speak to one of our trained volunteer reception workers. Please understand that our phone lines are very busy, so please be patient and courteous to our volunteers at all times. Our receptionist will then complete a “Request for Assistance Form” with you over the phone, which requires you to answer a number of questions and will then put your request form in the queue ready for one our skilled interviewers to call you back, so please stay close to your phone to receive the call back.
Your request for emergency relief will then be assessed over the phone with you by a skilled interviewer who will discuss your current circumstances that has necessitated the need to seek support. It is important your situation is assessed correctly so appropriate assistance and support can be given based on your current circumstances. Therefore, you may be asked to provide the following to complete the assessment:
• Formal identification which clearly states you reside within the Frankston municipality (ie: Driver’s Licence, Health Care card, rent receipt, etc)
• Details of income (ie: Centrelink income or benefits)
• Recently paid and outstanding bills (gas, rent, power, water, credit cards, Council rates, personal loans, car registration, insurance, etc)
• General living expenses (recent receipts for food, clothing, rent, education, motor vehicle costs, etc)
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About Our Trained Volunteers
Volunteer community workers at Community Support Frankston are selected to assist others because of their good communication skills, experience and understanding of people and their situations. Their specialist skills and own life experiences help them to perform their duties competently. All our community workers have successfully completed a Nationally Accredited Training Course to assess and provide services to clients with complex needs.
Your Information and the Privacy Act
All information given to the organisation is kept completely confidential. Under the provisions of the Privacy Act, information being collected by CSF will be held securely and no one can contact the agency and obtain information about another person without that person’s full authorisation. You have the right of access to, and alteration of, incorrect personal information held by CSF concerning yourself in accordance with the Privacy Act.