NINE months on, the Salvation Army’s Whittlesea headquarters is still dealing with almost 100 people per week who need financial help after the Black Saturday bushfires.

Major Jenny Barnard, the divisional leader of Salvation Army in Melbourne, said that while the supply and demand for food and other emergency items was drying up, the need for monetary assistance and new household items was still great.

Ms Barnard said the Salvation Army was not looking to receive second-hand goods as donations, but would appreciate items that would be suitable for new homes, particularly new electrical goods, such as fans, still in their boxes.

“Some of the people who have perhaps fallen through the cracks haven’t received as much back from insurance as they were hoping,” she said.

“They are looking to rebuild, and are perhaps struggling with that and then they are having to completely purchase contents for their house and are needing extra support.”

Ms Barnard said the Salvation Army was still seeing bushfire-affected people they have never seen before.

“Some people are just coming forward now. We are still seeing different people who we haven’t had a lot of dealings with,” she said.

She said the onset of warmer weather is causing anxiety among some people who are living in sheds and caravans.

“Some people are doing OK, but there are a lot of people who are really struggling for lots of different reasons and we seem to have a lot of folks who, as soon as the weather turns warm, start to panic and wonder what’s going to happen for this summer.

“Those who are living in caravans and sheds, you’d have to say you know they’re going be very concerned about facing a summer living in those conditions - extremely hot in summer and extremely cold in winter.”

The Salvos’ Whittlesea hub services surrounding areas including Kilmore, Wandong, Clombinane, Heathcote Junction, Flowerdale, Kinglake, Hurstbridge and Seymour, but smaller bases are also set up in those bushfire areas.

The three regular staff members - finance officer Libby Matkin, chaplain Simon Smith and warehouse manager Peter Sebbage - will continue to work with volunteers and clients while the demand is there.

“We moved in to Whittlesea on 7 February and haven’t moved out. What we do keeps changing and looks different, but we’re still meeting the needs of people,” Ms Barnard said.

“We don’t have any plans to move out at the moment.”

The Laurel St Bushfire Recovery Centre is open 10am to 4pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.