Family experiences Hope House “miracle”
On the Scene
Summer 2015 News AND stories from The Salvation Army Australia Eastern Territory
Every day we meet new people needing to be freed from their suffering.
Hope in the midst of heartbreak
Some are trapped by violent abuse, others by addiction. We meet families living on the edge and people sleeping on the streets.
“When we first met Anne, nearly a metre of water had gone through her house, kilometres of fencing had been destroyed and the property was extensively damaged. This all came on top of just losing her husband a few weeks earlier. Anne has gone through so much – drought and flood – yet she always thinks of others.” – Captain Mark Bulow
SHAIRON PATERSON
What this means is that the Salvos will be called upon to help more people. Not just the people you would expect, but the everyday people who now find themselves in despair.
“It felt like we were part of a large family … Hope House has been like a miracle in our lives.” – Tim
If you can find $1.20 a day (the cost of a newspaper), your generosity will help: • support a family who are homeless with food and shelter • support an alternative education program for disadvantaged youth • provide crisis accommodation for homeless women Yet that’s only the start. As you are providing the practical care, Salvos Staff, officers and volunteers will provide the comfort and care that hurting families also need. As a Salvos Freedom Partner, you make sure no one is left behind, that no one is forgotten. Can you spare $1.20 a day (just $36 a month)? If you can, please become a Salvos Freedom Partner today and give the gift of freedom.
For farm worker Tim and his young family, The Salvation Army’s Hope House in Gunnedah (northern NSW) turned a Christmas filled with potential sadness into a season of joy. When Tim’s wife walked away from their marriage and five children (two with learning difficulties), Tim says he began to seriously struggle financially. “The biggest problem (with a preschooler, plus four at school),” Tim says, “is that the work I do is mostly outlying farm work. There’s a lot of travel and it’s really hard to find work that I can fit within school times. I have just got to take what I can get and at the moment that’s not much.” Struggling to making ends meet Tim, who is now retraining (studying engineering at TAFE), says the increasing cost of everyday living is also making things harder. “Even the cost of clothing and fitting
out my children for school continues to be more expensive, trying to keep up with the school uniforms, school bags, pencils.” In addition to this, Tim’s mother recently suffered a serious stroke, and he says the fuel costs of driving daily to Tamworth Hospital and back meant little money left for Christmas. Tim says making contact with The Salvation Army’s Hope House eventually eased some of the burden. He explains, “The kids were over the moon at attending the Hope House Christmas Day Lunch held at the PCYC. They had so much fun with the story-telling and playing with other children, who were all really excited when they saw all the bags filled with Christmas gifts. It felt like we were part of a large family. “The eldest three also received gift vouchers, which they spent on items for school.” Hope House also gave Tim financial help through the NILS (No Interest Loan Scheme) program, while his children began attending a kids reading and literacy program at the centre.
summer 2015 Letters & feedback welcome!
Tim, who has gone on to volunteer around the grounds at Hope House says: “Hope House has been like a miracle in our lives.” Bringing hope to many Hope House is a haven in a highly disadvantaged neighbourhood of Gunnedah. The centre truly reflects its name. The services offered include welfare support, general counselling, the Positive Lifestyle Program (PLP) for those referred by solicitors and the courts, PLP for Youth in Gunnedah High School, PLP for Urban Aborigines, court support, opportunities for referred locals to carry out Work Development Orders and youth support in conjunction with Juvenile Justice. Among the many other services on offer are playgroup, craft group, children’s reading (literacy) group, No Interest Loans Scheme (NILS), school breakfasts, drop-in-centre activities, a food drop-off to those in need, Acts of Kindness (AOK) program and a once-a-month barbecue. O
Published Quarterly By: The Salvation Army, Australia Eastern Territory, COMMUNICATIONS AND Public Relations Department, PO Box A229, Sydney South, NSW 1232 Editor: COMMUNICATIONS AND PR Secretary, © The Salvation Army 2014 Ph: (02) 9266 9530
Design designmind.com.au © 2014 Ref 1444-SAL-OTSSUM15-71 Printed December 2014
single father Tim says Hope House has offered his family ‘miraculous’ support
You’ll be amazed at what you can do through Salvos Freedom Partners, for people trapped in despair.
Daunting challenge Following the death of her husband in January 2012, Anne, who had been
WEB
3
Thanks from the bush
salvos.org.au
SHAIRON PATERSON
To meet this extra need, the Salvos must call on our kind supporters and the Australian public for further support – because we fear it could be our hardest year since the GFC.
A widowed farmer from St George in Queensland’s south, Anne has experienced enough setbacks in recent years to last a lifetime – but through each ordeal The Salvation Army has been there to help. Floods and droughts are devastating enough for farmers, but when The Salvation Army’s Flying Chaplain, Captain Mark Bulow, heard that Anne had tragically and suddenly lost her husband John through a massive heart attack, he and a counsellor flew in to offer support. Captain Bulow flies hundreds of hours each year, visiting remote stations and communities in Australia’s outback. He covers an area extending west to the Northern Territory and South Australian borders, south to the NSW border and north to Queensland’s central west. He and his team provide services such as counselling, flood funds, food hampers, fencing supplies and drought relief assistance.
Inside THIS ISSUE ▼
The fact is, those already doing it tough will be the ones hardest hit as unemployment is expected to rise in 2015.
Queensland grazier Anne says Salvos’ support is essential for struggling communities
working off-farm as a paediatric nurse, was suddenly faced with the daunting challenge of single-handedly running the family’s 56,000-hectare cattle station, called Begonia, located 500km west of Brisbane. While reeling from the loss of her husband, devastating floods hit the region and her farm suffered massive damage. Since then, a crippling drought has slowly taken over and affected much of the area, and, to add to Anne’s woes, she recently suffered a broken leg after
4
being attacked by “an angry cow”. Salvos care Anne has received many visits from The Salvation Army, offering emotional and practical support during this time. In turn, she has allowed The Salvation Army to use Begonia as a base to visit some of her struggling neighbours, who have also received assistance, from financial help to fencing repairs and food vouchers. CONTINUED PAGE 2
GUNNEDAH HOPE
facebook.com/TheSalvationArmyAustralia
page 2
Inspired by an ‘angel’
page 3
‘Friends for Farmers’
page 4
Help in hard times
twitter.com/salvos
1
fOcus Salvo Street Teams launches in Sydney The Salvation Army, in partnership with the Thomas Kelly Youth Foundation, the City of Sydney, The Attorney General and NSW Police, launched Salvo Street Teams in December 2014. These teams are out on the streets of Sydney over the summer months to help people have a good but safe time in the city. The Salvo Street Teams have been located on George Street in Sydney’s CBD, focusing on this area initially. Giving the coat off your back Thanks to the generosity of people across New South Wales, people on the streets will have a coat to keep them warm this winter. The ‘Coats for Everyone’ appeal, run by McGrath Real Estate with The Salvation Army, saw more than 2,000 coats donated from 1-4 July, with more arriving every day. Coats were donated at a drop-off box in Martin Place in the Sydney city centre, and at many McGrath offices.
2
On the Scene
‘Angel’ inspires Monica’s partnership of care
THANK YOU!
My contact details Title Mr / Mrs / Miss / Ms / Dr
On behalf of farmers across Australia, The Salvation Army would like to thank all the supporters who gave to the Friends for Farmers appeal last year.
mother (centre),
Monica’s sisters and brother (1970).
A Bribie Island (Qld)-based receptionist, mother and grandmother, Monica says her mother Josephine, known as “Jessie”, tragically lost her battle with breast cancer in 1995, but had always spoken highly of The Salvation Army. “Mum and Dad and my older sisters were born in Malta, which was a very poor country, and years ago my parents came out to Australia looking for a better life,” Monica relates. “Not long after Mum got to Australia, Dad was taken to hospital. My mother either didn’t have enough money to get all the way there, or didn’t know the way, or quite likely, both.” Lost and alone Monica continues: “Mum somehow found herself all alone in a new country, lost, sitting on a public bench sobbing, knowing her husband was in hospital, but unable to get there. “It was then that somebody from the Salvos happened to come up to her and ask if she was OK. That gentleman, she says, helped Mum with some money and took her to the hospital.
Partners with purpose Salvos Freedom Partners are a very special group of committed people who donate every month to help people in times of most hardship and hurt. The Salvation Army relies on people like Monica to care for people all throughout the year. Salvation Army officer Major Bruce Harmer says, “It’s such a comfort for all of us here to know we have generous people like Monica working alongside us as we take their care to hurting people. “The reliable and faithful support of Freedom Partners helps those in greatest need find a way out of their desperate situation, to find independence, self-respect and hope. “Those gifts help so many in our community who are struggling with the challenges of homelessness, natural disaster, disadvantage or family crisis.” O
We would love to hear why you support The Salvation Army. Tell us what motivates you to give and you may feature in our next edition of On the Scene Email generosity@aue.salvationarmy.org
Address
Suburb
With your donations we will continue to provide practical assistance, counselling and chaplaincy to help our farmers through the toughest of times.
together with
“For the rest of her life, Mum would talk about having nobody to turn to, when the man from The Salvation Army showed up like ‘an angel from heaven’. “The event occurred long before I was born, but all my life my mother spoke very highly of The Salvation Army. After Mum died (and now that my children have grown up) I decided to become a Salvos Freedom Partner and give a set amount every month to help. “It really is so important to make sure the Salvos are there to help others in need.”
Surname
We are committed to helping our farmers and thankfully, so are you.
Monica and her
Monica Gould decided to become a Salvos Freedom Partner in honour of her mother, who had a “very special encounter” with The Salvation Army many years ago.
Given name
State
Postcode
Phone (
)
For that we cannot thank you enough.
Supporter ID Appeal Code
Gift options
would like to become a 1 ISalvos Freedom Partner and make a monthly gift of
$
(minimum $20)
Please debit my credit card on the day of each month (e.g. 1st or 16th) I would like to make a single gift of
FROM page 1
2$
Moving forward Despite her struggles, Anne has stayed on the farm and is building up a farm-stay business, as well as running cattle. Drought, however, continues to cripple the area, and when asked about The Salvation Army team who have supported her and her neighbours for years, Anne says, “They are very special people, very positive and uplifting. When The Salvation Army first came, they explained that they were just here for a chat, to offer support in any way they could, and had a counsellor if I needed to talk at any time. I welcomed them. My father had always said The Salvation Army was a tremendous organisation and he would donate to them whenever he saw someone collecting money in the street.” Donation plea Anne says the support offered by the flying chaplain is essential. “A lot of people don’t see anyone out here; they live isolated and lonely lives. I’ve seen
Payment options heque/ money order C payable to The Salvation Army Credit card Visa MasterCard
Diners
Amex
Name on card
SHAIRON PATERSON
Stepping out for a good cause Salvation Army supporters put on their walking shoes to raise funds for Aged Care Plus’ annual walkathon on 12 September. More than $65,000 had been raised across 19 Aged Care Plus locations throughout the Army’s Australia Eastern Territory. All funds raised will go towards helping drought-affected areas in south Queensland and northern NSW, provide a beach holiday for disadvantaged children from Indigenous communities in far north-western Queensland, and a women’s community empowerment program in North India.
Supporter story Monica Gould
Expiry
/
Signature Anne (pictured) offers ‘Begonia’ as a local base for Salvos support
farmers whose wives and children have left and they have suffered breakdowns – so many! “It makes a big difference having the Salvos around. You can trust them. They have made an enormous difference in my life.” Anne urges people to continue donating to The Salvation Army so they can support struggling farmers. “To
Please send me information about
those who can, please continue to open your arms and donate. Basically, I couldn’t think of a more worthy organisation. I’ve said before, when I retire I will volunteer for The Salvation Army. That’s how much it’s changed my life and my thinking. “I will ask for donations because I know how much it means – I’ve been on the receiving end.” O
THE SALVATION ARMY AUSTRALIA EASTERN TERRITORY
summer 2015
Worship and church programs Community services Wills and bequests
Please be assured your details remain confidential. Donations are tax deductible. For other ways to give, please phone 13 SALVOS (13 72 58) or log onto salvos.org.au/ots To mail your donation, please return it to The Salvation Army, Reply Paid 87088, Silverwater, NSW 2128.
3
Our privacy statement can be accessed online at salvos.org.au/privacy/donation
fOcus Salvo Street Teams launches in Sydney The Salvation Army, in partnership with the Thomas Kelly Youth Foundation, the City of Sydney, The Attorney General and NSW Police, launched Salvo Street Teams in December 2014. These teams are out on the streets of Sydney over the summer months to help people have a good but safe time in the city. The Salvo Street Teams have been located on George Street in Sydney’s CBD, focusing on this area initially. Giving the coat off your back Thanks to the generosity of people across New South Wales, people on the streets will have a coat to keep them warm this winter. The ‘Coats for Everyone’ appeal, run by McGrath Real Estate with The Salvation Army, saw more than 2,000 coats donated from 1-4 July, with more arriving every day. Coats were donated at a drop-off box in Martin Place in the Sydney city centre, and at many McGrath offices.
2
On the Scene
‘Angel’ inspires Monica’s partnership of care
THANK YOU!
My contact details Title Mr / Mrs / Miss / Ms / Dr
On behalf of farmers across Australia, The Salvation Army would like to thank all the supporters who gave to the Friends for Farmers appeal last year.
mother (centre),
Monica’s sisters and brother (1970).
A Bribie Island (Qld)-based receptionist, mother and grandmother, Monica says her mother Josephine, known as “Jessie”, tragically lost her battle with breast cancer in 1995, but had always spoken highly of The Salvation Army. “Mum and Dad and my older sisters were born in Malta, which was a very poor country, and years ago my parents came out to Australia looking for a better life,” Monica relates. “Not long after Mum got to Australia, Dad was taken to hospital. My mother either didn’t have enough money to get all the way there, or didn’t know the way, or quite likely, both.” Lost and alone Monica continues: “Mum somehow found herself all alone in a new country, lost, sitting on a public bench sobbing, knowing her husband was in hospital, but unable to get there. “It was then that somebody from the Salvos happened to come up to her and ask if she was OK. That gentleman, she says, helped Mum with some money and took her to the hospital.
Partners with purpose Salvos Freedom Partners are a very special group of committed people who donate every month to help people in times of most hardship and hurt. The Salvation Army relies on people like Monica to care for people all throughout the year. Salvation Army officer Major Bruce Harmer says, “It’s such a comfort for all of us here to know we have generous people like Monica working alongside us as we take their care to hurting people. “The reliable and faithful support of Freedom Partners helps those in greatest need find a way out of their desperate situation, to find independence, self-respect and hope. “Those gifts help so many in our community who are struggling with the challenges of homelessness, natural disaster, disadvantage or family crisis.” O
We would love to hear why you support The Salvation Army. Tell us what motivates you to give and you may feature in our next edition of On the Scene Email generosity@aue.salvationarmy.org
Address
Suburb
With your donations we will continue to provide practical assistance, counselling and chaplaincy to help our farmers through the toughest of times.
together with
“For the rest of her life, Mum would talk about having nobody to turn to, when the man from The Salvation Army showed up like ‘an angel from heaven’. “The event occurred long before I was born, but all my life my mother spoke very highly of The Salvation Army. After Mum died (and now that my children have grown up) I decided to become a Salvos Freedom Partner and give a set amount every month to help. “It really is so important to make sure the Salvos are there to help others in need.”
Surname
We are committed to helping our farmers and thankfully, so are you.
Monica and her
Monica Gould decided to become a Salvos Freedom Partner in honour of her mother, who had a “very special encounter” with The Salvation Army many years ago.
Given name
State
Postcode
Phone (
)
For that we cannot thank you enough.
Supporter ID Appeal Code
Gift options
would like to become a 1 ISalvos Freedom Partner and make a monthly gift of
$
(minimum $20)
Please debit my credit card on the day of each month (e.g. 1st or 16th) I would like to make a single gift of
FROM page 1
2$
Moving forward Despite her struggles, Anne has stayed on the farm and is building up a farm-stay business, as well as running cattle. Drought, however, continues to cripple the area, and when asked about The Salvation Army team who have supported her and her neighbours for years, Anne says, “They are very special people, very positive and uplifting. When The Salvation Army first came, they explained that they were just here for a chat, to offer support in any way they could, and had a counsellor if I needed to talk at any time. I welcomed them. My father had always said The Salvation Army was a tremendous organisation and he would donate to them whenever he saw someone collecting money in the street.” Donation plea Anne says the support offered by the flying chaplain is essential. “A lot of people don’t see anyone out here; they live isolated and lonely lives. I’ve seen
Payment options heque/ money order C payable to The Salvation Army Credit card Visa MasterCard
Diners
Amex
Name on card
SHAIRON PATERSON
Stepping out for a good cause Salvation Army supporters put on their walking shoes to raise funds for Aged Care Plus’ annual walkathon on 12 September. More than $65,000 had been raised across 19 Aged Care Plus locations throughout the Army’s Australia Eastern Territory. All funds raised will go towards helping drought-affected areas in south Queensland and northern NSW, provide a beach holiday for disadvantaged children from Indigenous communities in far north-western Queensland, and a women’s community empowerment program in North India.
Supporter story Monica Gould
Expiry
/
Signature Anne (pictured) offers ‘Begonia’ as a local base for Salvos support
farmers whose wives and children have left and they have suffered breakdowns – so many! “It makes a big difference having the Salvos around. You can trust them. They have made an enormous difference in my life.” Anne urges people to continue donating to The Salvation Army so they can support struggling farmers. “To
Please send me information about
those who can, please continue to open your arms and donate. Basically, I couldn’t think of a more worthy organisation. I’ve said before, when I retire I will volunteer for The Salvation Army. That’s how much it’s changed my life and my thinking. “I will ask for donations because I know how much it means – I’ve been on the receiving end.” O
THE SALVATION ARMY AUSTRALIA EASTERN TERRITORY
summer 2015
Worship and church programs Community services Wills and bequests
Please be assured your details remain confidential. Donations are tax deductible. For other ways to give, please phone 13 SALVOS (13 72 58) or log onto salvos.org.au/ots To mail your donation, please return it to The Salvation Army, Reply Paid 87088, Silverwater, NSW 2128.
3
Our privacy statement can be accessed online at salvos.org.au/privacy/donation
Family experiences Hope House “miracle”
On the Scene
Summer 2015 News AND stories from The Salvation Army Australia Eastern Territory
Every day we meet new people needing to be freed from their suffering.
Hope in the midst of heartbreak
Some are trapped by violent abuse, others by addiction. We meet families living on the edge and people sleeping on the streets.
“When we first met Anne, nearly a metre of water had gone through her house, kilometres of fencing had been destroyed and the property was extensively damaged. This all came on top of just losing her husband a few weeks earlier. Anne has gone through so much – drought and flood – yet she always thinks of others.” – Captain Mark Bulow
SHAIRON PATERSON
What this means is that the Salvos will be called upon to help more people. Not just the people you would expect, but the everyday people who now find themselves in despair.
“It felt like we were part of a large family … Hope House has been like a miracle in our lives.” – Tim
If you can find $1.20 a day (the cost of a newspaper), your generosity will help: • support a family who are homeless with food and shelter • support an alternative education program for disadvantaged youth • provide crisis accommodation for homeless women Yet that’s only the start. As you are providing the practical care, Salvos Staff, officers and volunteers will provide the comfort and care that hurting families also need. As a Salvos Freedom Partner, you make sure no one is left behind, that no one is forgotten. Can you spare $1.20 a day (just $36 a month)? If you can, please become a Salvos Freedom Partner today and give the gift of freedom.
For farm worker Tim and his young family, The Salvation Army’s Hope House in Gunnedah (northern NSW) turned a Christmas filled with potential sadness into a season of joy. When Tim’s wife walked away from their marriage and five children (two with learning difficulties), Tim says he began to seriously struggle financially. “The biggest problem (with a preschooler, plus four at school),” Tim says, “is that the work I do is mostly outlying farm work. There’s a lot of travel and it’s really hard to find work that I can fit within school times. I have just got to take what I can get and at the moment that’s not much.” Struggling to making ends meet Tim, who is now retraining (studying engineering at TAFE), says the increasing cost of everyday living is also making things harder. “Even the cost of clothing and fitting
out my children for school continues to be more expensive, trying to keep up with the school uniforms, school bags, pencils.” In addition to this, Tim’s mother recently suffered a serious stroke, and he says the fuel costs of driving daily to Tamworth Hospital and back meant little money left for Christmas. Tim says making contact with The Salvation Army’s Hope House eventually eased some of the burden. He explains, “The kids were over the moon at attending the Hope House Christmas Day Lunch held at the PCYC. They had so much fun with the story-telling and playing with other children, who were all really excited when they saw all the bags filled with Christmas gifts. It felt like we were part of a large family. “The eldest three also received gift vouchers, which they spent on items for school.” Hope House also gave Tim financial help through the NILS (No Interest Loan Scheme) program, while his children began attending a kids reading and literacy program at the centre.
summer 2015 Letters & feedback welcome!
Tim, who has gone on to volunteer around the grounds at Hope House says: “Hope House has been like a miracle in our lives.” Bringing hope to many Hope House is a haven in a highly disadvantaged neighbourhood of Gunnedah. The centre truly reflects its name. The services offered include welfare support, general counselling, the Positive Lifestyle Program (PLP) for those referred by solicitors and the courts, PLP for Youth in Gunnedah High School, PLP for Urban Aborigines, court support, opportunities for referred locals to carry out Work Development Orders and youth support in conjunction with Juvenile Justice. Among the many other services on offer are playgroup, craft group, children’s reading (literacy) group, No Interest Loans Scheme (NILS), school breakfasts, drop-in-centre activities, a food drop-off to those in need, Acts of Kindness (AOK) program and a once-a-month barbecue. O
Published Quarterly By: The Salvation Army, Australia Eastern Territory, COMMUNICATIONS AND Public Relations Department, PO Box A229, Sydney South, NSW 1232 Editor: COMMUNICATIONS AND PR Secretary, © The Salvation Army 2014 Ph: (02) 9266 9530
Design designmind.com.au © 2014 Ref 1444-SAL-OTSSUM15-71 Printed December 2014
single father Tim says Hope House has offered his family ‘miraculous’ support
You’ll be amazed at what you can do through Salvos Freedom Partners, for people trapped in despair.
Daunting challenge Following the death of her husband in January 2012, Anne, who had been
WEB
3
Thanks from the bush
salvos.org.au
SHAIRON PATERSON
To meet this extra need, the Salvos must call on our kind supporters and the Australian public for further support – because we fear it could be our hardest year since the GFC.
A widowed farmer from St George in Queensland’s south, Anne has experienced enough setbacks in recent years to last a lifetime – but through each ordeal The Salvation Army has been there to help. Floods and droughts are devastating enough for farmers, but when The Salvation Army’s Flying Chaplain, Captain Mark Bulow, heard that Anne had tragically and suddenly lost her husband John through a massive heart attack, he and a counsellor flew in to offer support. Captain Bulow flies hundreds of hours each year, visiting remote stations and communities in Australia’s outback. He covers an area extending west to the Northern Territory and South Australian borders, south to the NSW border and north to Queensland’s central west. He and his team provide services such as counselling, flood funds, food hampers, fencing supplies and drought relief assistance.
Inside THIS ISSUE ▼
The fact is, those already doing it tough will be the ones hardest hit as unemployment is expected to rise in 2015.
Queensland grazier Anne says Salvos’ support is essential for struggling communities
working off-farm as a paediatric nurse, was suddenly faced with the daunting challenge of single-handedly running the family’s 56,000-hectare cattle station, called Begonia, located 500km west of Brisbane. While reeling from the loss of her husband, devastating floods hit the region and her farm suffered massive damage. Since then, a crippling drought has slowly taken over and affected much of the area, and, to add to Anne’s woes, she recently suffered a broken leg after
4
being attacked by “an angry cow”. Salvos care Anne has received many visits from The Salvation Army, offering emotional and practical support during this time. In turn, she has allowed The Salvation Army to use Begonia as a base to visit some of her struggling neighbours, who have also received assistance, from financial help to fencing repairs and food vouchers. CONTINUED PAGE 2
GUNNEDAH HOPE
facebook.com/TheSalvationArmyAustralia
page 2
Inspired by an ‘angel’
page 3
‘Friends for Farmers’
page 4
Help in hard times
twitter.com/salvos
1