The Catholic Weekly 20 March 2022

SUNDAY 20 March, 2022 CatholicWeekly The www.catholicweekly.com.au THE CHURCH. ALL OF IT THE EVIDENCE FOR LIFE AFTER DEATH P16 $2 A NUMBER of Catholic chari- ties are bracing for the impact of a barrage of petrol and oth- er price hikes on essentials on their ability to provide servic- es. Financial experts expect a shock inflation rise at the end of last year to be followed by more this year, due to soaring energy prices and the ongo- ing supply chain woes caused by the pandemic and the Rus- sian-Ukraine war. At the same time Queens- land and New South Wales farmers are warning that food prices may be further pushed up after this month’s flood disaster. Charities are concerned that the rising costs of living will hurt the poorer hardest, but some will themselves face increasing pressure to make ends meet. Smaller providers serving thousands of people each week on the smell of an oily rag and with no ability to save up cash reserves will be in trouble if inflation outstrips government funding and charitable donations. Monique Earsman, ex- ecutive director of Catholic Social Services, a network of Catholic organisations pro- viding social services, said that some smaller providers will be forced to make tough decisions between providing services at a loss or providing fewer services. “When providing funding, governments need to under- stand the true costs of service provision, including compli- ance costs and other over- heads,” she said. “A failure to do so will mean providers will need to eventually withdraw from providing services, meaning fewer providers in an already The chilling of charity Seemingly never-ending price hikes are taking their toll on our vital charities ¾ Marilyn Rodrigues ¾ Marilyn Rodrigues A NEW RESOURCE FOR PARENTS CONSTANT MEDIA cover- age of war in Ukraine and floods in New South Wales and Queensland has prompt- ed school principals to send parents tips for helping them to cope with the onslaught of bad news. Fiona Dignan, principal at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Primary School in Forestville in Sydney’s north, sent parents a two-page re- source about managing chil- dren’s exposure to traumatic events in the media. ‘Traumatic events, the media and your child,’ pub- lished by the National Work- force Centre for Child Men- tal Health, explains that wall-to-wall disaster coverage can make children feel unsafe or anxious, in turn impacting upon their sleeping patterns and learning at school. Recommendations include watching some coverage with them, setting limits on screen time, and providing reassur- ance and clear information. Despite parents’ best inten- tions to shield young children from distressing news, they may be exposed to a traumatic event more than they realise, Ms Dignan told The Catholic Weekly. The principal said her lead- ership team and teachers said that even before last month they had noticed increased levels of anxiety and uncer- tainty among the students in- cluding separation anxiety at drop off time and increasing referrals to the school’s coun- sellor. Now those trends are in- creasing along with concern- i ng“playgroundchatter”about CONTINUED PG5 The cost of giving: Catholic charities - among many other Australian charitable agencies - are being hit harder and harder by major price rises, affecting their ability to provide vital services to those most in need. PHOTO: PEXELS.COM Howparents can assuage kids’ fears overstretched market. Rural and remote clients will be the biggest losers. “Our clients will also strug- gle to meet the cost of infla- tion on essential household items, such as petrol, which means they will need to reach out more regularly for help to make ends meet.” Fuel prices were already at record highs before Rus- sia’s war on Ukraine sparked a surge past US$100 a barrel last week while supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths have warned that inflation increases and pandemic sup- ply chain issues would force them to pass on some higher costs to customers. The United Nations’ Food Fiona Dignan PHOTO: SUPPLIED Price Index reported global food prices were up as much as 20 per cent on the year before, while Australians are looking at $2 per litre at the pump as a new normal. There are also fears Rus- sia’s invasion of Ukraine will send wheat and barley prices soaring. Carrie Deane, Community Manager of Canice’s Kitchen in Darlinghurst, said running a daily meal and social ser- vices homeless outreach on a shoestring budget means that any price hikes will be keenly felt. “We’re small but able to deliver a lot, due to wonderful CONTINUED PG2 When providing funding, governments need to understand the true costs of service provision, including compliance costs and other overheads.” Maureen Easman, Catholic Social Services THE FAITH FACTOR IN UKRAINE P14