As the recession deepens, volunteer group Supergrans is finding Dunedin families are returning to it for extra help.
Dunedin co-ordinator and Supergrans national chairwoman Marie Sutherland said such families might have been on track with budgeting and coping, but something unexpected had cropped up and they found they needed support again.
She is expecting more requests for the group's services, particularly from those on benefits, as winter approaches.
It was important that people sought help before they got into strife with winter heating bills, she said.
Members of the volunteer group work with families who may need help with basic living skills and parenting.
Most commonly, parents need help with shopping, budgeting and cooking, although Ms Sutherland said there was increasing interest in gardening and sewing.
The group has a sewing machine and some volunteers who can help parents learn that skill.
Extra volunteers are being sought for the Dunedin group which has about 20 members.
Having about 25 would allow more flexibility.
Many of the volunteers were aged 60 or more and some could need time off for such things as hip and knee replacements.
It would also be good to have some supergrandads, she said.
The men seemed to be a bit quiet about coming forward, she said.
"I don't know if they're not allowed out or what."
However, sometimes, if a woman was working with a family, her husband might lend a hand.
Home handyman or gardening skills would be welcome.
It would also be desirable to have a man to work with families where there might be boys with no male mentor.
Volunteers go through an approval process which includes training and police checks before being assigned to families.
Next month, Ms Sutherland will be meeting the Minister of Social Development, Paula Bennett, to seek extra funding for the group nationally, which has previously been funded through the Government's SAGES programme.
An extra million dollars would help groups in rural communities get off the ground, including those in places such as Alexandra, Balclutha and Queenstown.
She would also be making a case for funding for two branches not funded as yet, one in Oamaru and another in Gisborne.
Ms Sutherland said it was not easy to convince governments to fund support services for people to use before they got into difficulty.
