The TasCOSS offices, located at Level 3/86 Murray Street, Hobart, 7000 will close to the public for the holidays at 3pm, Tuesday 24 December 2024 and reopen on 9am, Monday 6 January 2025.
Please be advised, some TasCOSS staff are working remotely the week commencing Thursday 2 January 2025. If you wish to make contact with a member of the TasCOSS team, please visit the Meet the Team webpage and make contact with the relevant staff member directly.
Need help during the holidays? Visit FindHelpTAS (findhelptas.org.au), Tasmania’s largest online directory of community services. You can search the directory by region, council area and service type, such as housing, food relief or mental health. Remember to contact your service provider first before showing up, as their operating hours and availability may change during this period. In an emergency, call 000 (triple zero).
Happy holidays from the TasCOSS team! We’d also like to extend our thanks and appreciation to the organisations and services, many of which are in our industry, that will be working over the Christmas/New Year break to support our most vulnerable and to keep our community safe and well.
Want to give back this Christmas? Here are some great fundraising initiatives:
NB: If you’d like us to list your fundraising initiative on this page or promote via our social media channels, please email comms@tascoss.org.au.
- The Salvation Army through the Bag of Hope campaign, helps Tasmanian families that are in urgent need this Christmas. A food drive is an easy way to collect non-perishable food items for The Salvation Army to distribute to those most in need. Find out more.
- Hobart City Mission’s Christmas Appeal provides families with food, supermarket vouchers and gifts for children. The program is made possible by generous donations from the local community. Find out more.
- City Mission’s (North and North-West Tasmania) Christmas Appeal provides in need families with food hampers and gifts to help ensure more Tasmanians can celebrate Christmas every year. Your donation can help change lives for the better, spread joy, and provide families experiencing hardship the urgent relief they need this Christmas. Find out more.
- With more and more vulnerable people experiencing poverty and on the brink of homelessness this Christmas, Vinnies Tasmania urgently need your help. Your donation can help provide the emergency assistance families desperately need to survive, and the long-term support they need to build better futures. Find out more.
- Anglicare Tasmania provide vital support to children, families, individuals facing challenges in their lives and older Tasmanians across the entire state. It’s clear that Tasmanians need our services more than ever. You can contribute to the Anglicare Christmas Appeal and help us to continue a long tradition of supporting Tasmanians in need. Find out more.
- Be part of Uniting’s Gifts for Families Appeal. Uniting have seen a significant increase in people accessing our services throughout the year and anticipate the need for Christmas support will be greater than previous years. It is our goal to assist every family in need so that no child will go without a gift this Christmas. Find out more.
- As Christmas approaches, many of us include our fur family on our gift lists, planning to pop a treat, a toy or perhaps a new collar or leash under the tree for our best friend. Sadly, not every dog in Tassie will be spending time with their forever family this Christmas. So, the Dogs’ Homes of Tasmania Ambassadogs are barking up for Tassie dogs in need and sharing their Christmas wish for dogs in need across Tasmania. Find out more.
- Home Base’s Community Christmas Day Lunch will be held at In the Hanging Garden (112 Murray Street, Hobart, 7000). The annual community-led event continues to grow and provides a traditional Christmas lunch to those who are doing it tough or seeking company on Christmas Day. Find out more.
If you need to talk to someone over the holiday period, support is available from the following organisations:
- Lifeline (24 hours): 131 114
- Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636
- Victims of Crime Service: 1300 300 238
- Sexual Assault Support Service (24 hours): 1800 697 877
- Laurel House (Northern Tasmania): (03) 6334 2740
- Laurel House (North-West Tasmania): (03) 6431 9711
- Blue Knot Foundation: 1300 657 380
- Child Abuse Prevention Services: 1800 688 009
- Strong Families, Safe Kids: 1800 000 123
- 1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732
- Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
- MensLine Australia: 1300 789 978
- Relationships Australia Tasmania: 1300 364 277