Sadly, the festive season is when the Busselton-based Mates Men’s Support Group faces its busiest time of year.
The self-funded organisation works to reduce domestic violence, anger management and substance abuse problems in the community.
The organisation has just received an $8,000 donation from Rio Tinto which will help the group get through the coming months.
Its founder Rob Reekie said the funding could not have come at a better time and meant they would be able to survive another Christmas by providing a 24-hour service when people needed them most.
“Christmas is always a hard one for us because we do not usually receive any funding, I would normally have volunteers working all through Christmas just to raise funds to pay our rents and everything else,” he said.
“Now I can give my guys a well deserved break and we will still be there doing the services, we do not have to worry about fundraising thousands of dollars to get through the period which is fantastic.
“I need to say a very big thank you to Rio Tinto and the partnership we are joining, it is is fantastic for us and displays the community attitude they have.
“It gives us a chance to increase our strategies for the FIFO workers, it is an exciting time for Mates because we have never had a partnership.”
Mr Reekie said Christmas could be a stressful time for people who faced financial difficulties, were disengaged from their families or were facing their first Christmas alone because they could not see their family.
“It is also the party season, and men especially, seem to lose sight of the fact Christmas is meant to be about family and not about alcohol and binge drinking,” he said.
“It is a hard thing and you also have the fly-in-fly-out community on their swings during the Christmas period who are missing their families.”
Mid-January was another time when Mates would see a spike in clients as families faced financial pressure to find money before children went back to school.
“From everyone at Mates we wish everyone a safe, happy and respectful Christmas, remember what Christmas is about – it is not all about gifts, booze and parties,” he said.
“Especially give thoughts to the people who are working through providing emergency services over Christmas to keep people safe.
“Hopefully we get through this Christmas nice and safe.”
