Salvation Army's Doorways program wants to help people break the poverty cycle

The Salvation Army Wagga is in the process of transforming their Connect space next to the popular op shop into a supermarket full of donated groceries.

It's part of the Doorways program, a newly designed form of aid from the national charity.

The supermarket gives people stuck in the poverty cycle immediate relief from food insecurity, while an on site case worker and emergency relief assessor are there to help them break that cycle.

"The whole idea about it is a holistic approach to those who are seeking assistance all the time," Doorways coordinator Jen Cameron said.

"It's about reaching goals, it's about financial counselling, it's about looking at the whole picture."

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Anyone coming to Doorways will meet the emergency relief assessor Nisha Reid first, who will refer that person to the help they need.

A full time case worker will also be on site to connect with visitors.

"It's about listening to people and assessing their needs, and sort of triaging where they need to go," Ms Reid said.

"We want to support them so that they can change their situation, if possible."

As far as the donation supermarket goes, there is already a pantry's worth of perishable and non-perishable goods, which can currently be accessed on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

There will also be financial consultations available to help those hit with large energy bills manage the payment, as well as pre-loaded money cards for individuals to use for a variety of essentials.

The program has been trialled several other locations, including Coffs Harbour, and soon will be nationwide.

Ms Cameron said they will work with other local organisations in a more coordinated response to helping those in need.

"We'll be utilising people like Food Bank, OzHarvest, and those sorts of peopl to be able to provide the food that we need to help those families out," she said.

"We want to try and just work in a better way I guess."

The Doorways program is expected to be fully operational in the coming month.

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