23 Nov Emergency Support Service – Theresa
Theresa* hoped for a brighter future in a new country. Better opportunities for her five children, a good education, quality health care for her serious illness.
But nothing has turned out the way she hoped. She has turned to ARA in desperation, with all of her hopes and dreams shattered.
ARA’s Emergency Support Service can provide crucial support for Theresa and her family right now. Without ARA, there is no one else.
But the Emergency Support Service has been in high demand, and we urgently need to replenish funds for families like Theresa’s.
Donate now to help Theresa and her children
My husband doesn’t want us anymore. My heart is broken.
Theresa’s husband made a promise. He arrived in Australia several years earlier and arranged a visa for the family, committing to provide for them when they arrived. But now he has left them with nothing.
When they arrived, there was no happy welcome. The children had to sleep in the living room, on the floor. There was no bedding, and not enough food. He kept disappearing for days on end. Then he admitted he was in a relationship with someone else. He told them he was going to leave and would not support them.
“I see my children sleeping on the floor with nothing. I was sad and shocked, we had nothing and no-one to help us. I just want a good life, a safe and happy place.
“I am worried about my arthritis, it feels worse. Some days I struggle to get out of bed to look after the children. I am alone with no help. I do not know where to turn,” said Theresa.
They have no family to lean on. No housing, health benefits, no money to pay for food. Without his support, they are completely alone. And soon they will be homeless unless we step in to offer urgent assistance.
Donate now to ARA’s Emergency Support Service
Everything can be good for us in Australia, but we just need help to do it.
Theresa’s eldest daughter, 21-year-old Felecia*, has had to step up to support the family. She desperately wants to learn to be independent and be a strong person, but she now carries the burden of care for the entire family.
Felecia needs guidance to cope with this new pressure and responsibility, while she tries to come to terms with her own grief.
“I was expecting my family together again, mum and dad living in the same house, and we hope and support each other. But everything came back to zero.
“Mum’s illness is much worse in Australia and I am so worried about her. Now I must look after her too, hold the family together,” said Felecia.
We will teach Felecia how to talk to Centrelink about accessing special payments. We can also help Felecia access education, so she can get a job, earn a wage to support the family and get her driver’s licence. With you to help, all of this is possible.
You can help Felecia support her family by donating now
At ARA, we look at every scenario with compassion first.
ARA, and our compassionate, experienced case workers, play a critical role in giving vulnerable people hope for a better future. We are there when no one else is.
Our Emergency Support Service has become a crucial safety net for countless families in need, especially in the difficult financial climate we now face. Every month, more families arrive at ARA’s doors, desperate for help.
The Emergency Support Service allows ARA to help people who have run out of options. People like Theresa and her children who fail to obtain support from the usual agencies and service providers simply because of rules and regulations.
Families like Theresa’s need help urgently.
They are the forgotten ones – the people who don’t match the right criteria. Everywhere else they hear ‘no’, but at ARA, we say ‘yes’.
The Emergency Support Service was created to offer urgent, practical support, as well as long-term assistance to empower families to move towards a brighter future. With the kindness of people like you, over the last three years, we have helped hundreds of people.
Theresa and her children have no money for basics like food and clothing, no way to get housing or medical assistance. That’s why they need you, and ARA’s Emergency Support Service.
Your gift will have an immediate impact. Will you please help with a generous gift?