Bring Joy to Families like Matt, Keira and their 3 Young Children this Christmas

Christmas is a time of joy and giving, often spent with family - making it extra special. Unfortunately, at a time when most are enjoying this occasion, so many are not. For hundreds, if not thousands of families, it is a stressful, sad, and unpleasant time.

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Their situation and the pressures surrounding them are often too much to handle.

When Matt* first came to the Samaritans for support, his family had been homeless since April. They had lost their long-term rental due to it going on the market and were spending many nights couch surfing and on the street, sometimes in dangerous situations. The increased cost of living and rental shortages in our region have not helped.

One of the Samaritans staff members, Renee, remembers the day Matt came in for help.

“He was frightened and very anxious. He had never needed to ask for help before and felt as though he was letting his family down. We were able to place them into some temporary accommodation, and we are assisting them in securing a home for the next two years, ” said Renee.

“With the pressures that Matt and Keira are facing, we have put the call out, and we hope to give further support to the family this Christmas. We are working to ensure that their kids will have some presents on Christmas morning. We will also look to provide them with some nice food to enjoy the day.”

Each day as Christmas approaches, Samaritans will be needed to support more families like Matt and Keira, desperate to give their children any kind of Christmas at all.

During Christmas, Samaritans services will experience a spike in demand, so this year they are looking to raise $150,000 to support these families in need.

This year, your Christmas donation will give other families the help they urgently need. Safety with a place to stay, support from Samaritans staff, and gifts and food on Christmas Day. With their network of services, Samaritans can offer additional emergency relief, financial support, and family support, should families need extra help during the festive season. Donate today at www. samaritans.org.au.

*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the people we support.