Regional support services rally around vulnerable community members during SA lockdown

Yarredi Services has already started assisting domestic violence victims into short-term accommodation. (ABC News: Ursula Malone)

Regional support services for vulnerable community members have kept their doors open during South Australia's seven-day lockdown, and are reporting an uptake of family violence short-term accommodation offers from the state government.

The chief executive of Port Lincoln domestic violence specialist service Yarredi Services,  Sharyn Potts, said women have been contacting the service for help and short-term accommodation.

"We saw this last lockdown," she said.

"At first it went fairly quiet and then there was an increase [of advice sought] and that was certainly not too long into the lockdown.

"I think the extra pressure of being at home, the kids not going to school … can increase the pressures that are being experienced and things can build up.

Financial angst, couch surfer assistance

Uniting Country SA general manager Liz Malcolm said the north and west regional areas had also seen an increase in demand for its services.

Couch surfers have sought assistance from Uniting Country SA. (Supplied: Wokandapix)

"We've seen people that have had unexpected loss of income," she said.

"We've been providing short-term food assistance while people are waiting to get their commonwealth government money and also advocating with utility services to ask for accounts to be put on hold so that people don't have to be stressed about not being able to pay them straight away."

Ms Malcolm said there was also a high demand for Uniting Country SA's homelessness service.

"The lockdown means that people that are couch surfing can't go and visit friends and family like they normally would," she said.

'We must look after our employees'

Port Lincoln take away shop The Pantry is owned by local charity Community House and employs workers who have needed a hand up in the past.

Community House manager Linda Davies said the business chose its employees over profit.

"We have a mother of nine who is solely employed by us [and] is off all government payments. For her to not get her payment and a substantial payment she will not lose hours.

"We're losing money to keep these people employed but we must look after our employees, that's the bottom line."

Linda Davies says The Pantry takeaway business will prioritise its employees. (ABC Eyre Peninsula: Jodie Hamilton)

The manager said the charity-owned business was fortunate it could support workers throughout the lockdown.

"We're lucky that we can do this because we're community-owned. Many other businesses are losing work," she said.

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