Who wants to be free of debt?

COMPASSION: Paul Eardley explains Kaitaia's new debt centre.

Paul Eardley wasn't pulling his punches when he explained how Christians Against Poverty's debt centre in Kaitaia would work.

Mr Eardley, who left the ministry to take up his current work, introduced the programme at St Saviour's Church in Kaitaia, where he also introduced John Horan, widely known as the co-ordinator of St Saviour's Youth Ignite group, who will lead the Kaitaia team.

Debt, he said, could literally be a killer. A survey of debt centre clients last year found 39 per cent had considered suicide as a way out of their situation, and 7 per cent had tried to take their own lives.

One client in three regularly skipped meals to feed their children, 40 per cent had lost their relationship, 57 per cent feared losing their homes, 80 per cent had visited a GP with stress and anxiety issues, and 50 per cent had been prescribed some form of medication.

The only criteria for those seeking help from a debt centre were that they actually be in debt, and wished to escape it. The only way to make contact was to call the freephone number 0508-227-111, following which Mr Horan would visit, generally three to four times, to gather the financial information needed to compile a sustainable budget.

That budget would be produced in Auckland, Mr Horan's key role being to nurture a relationship with the client, showing love and compassion, so that the shame, guilt and other negative feelings that often arose from debt would be banished.

"The client and centre will get all the financial expertise and backing needed from our trained, experienced teams in Auckland, so John can concentrate on the client and not have to worry about the financial issues. They will be addressed for him," Mr Eardley said.

Head office would produce a budget prioritising food, rent and power, all crucial for a healthy family, which was the ultimate goal. It would also take over all communication with creditors, immediately relieving much of the client's stress, and would endeavour to negotiate with creditors to have interest and penalties stopped or reversed.

"The real way we will see poverty taking a hammering in Kaitaia is if we all work together as a team," he added. "We all have something to offer, we all have a chance to interact with people struggling in poverty, so let's work together."

Mr Eardley was himself no stranger to debt. He grew up in poverty in London, one of two boys with great parents who had little money. He recalled answering the door at night, telling debt collectors that his mother, who would be hiding in the kitchen, wasn't home.

He remembered his parents' rows, the screaming and yelling, usually over a lack of money.

"No kid should grow up listening to arguments like that, certainly not because of something as manageable as money, not now, not in 2015 and not in New Zealand," he said.

And while debt centres (Kaitaia's being the 50th) were the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, the fence at the top was Christians Against Poverty's money course, offered by 185 churches around the country to help people with basic money management.

The third string to its bow was CAP job clubs, which were successfully helping people find paid employment.

Mr Eardley emphasised that Christians Against Poverty was totally non-judgmental.

"How people got into debt is irrelevant," he said.

"We just want to get them out of it.

"When people are in debt their home can be a prison without bars. They can be afraid to answer the phone, open the door or read their mail. We can help them escape that. This programme really can, and does, transform lives."