Give the gift of hope
this Christmas

The Parry family* has spent every Christmas for the last ten years in the same home in Western Sydney. However, that changed in May this year when they were forced out due to sharp rent increases.

With four young children to support, parents, Joe* and Charlotte*, didn’t know where to turn.

“When we became homeless, we tried to stay strong for the children but inside we were falling apart,” says Charlotte.

“Experiencing homelessness has been deeply unsettling for the children, particularly Mia who has an intellectual delay. We kept having to move between temporary accommodation, not knowing where we’d be from one day to the next and while I tried to stay strong for the kids, we all hated it.”

But when they met Wesley Mission Case Worker, Oscar, their lives turned around.

Oscar and the team at Wesley Mission helped this family apply for suitable properties and ensured their needs were met, from food and essentials to support at school.

“We worked together with other agencies to ensure the whole family was getting the support they needed,” says Oscar.

Eventually, the team found a four-bedroom house the family can now call home.

“We didn’t want to tell the kids until we knew it was ours. So, when we got the keys, we drove to the house with them without saying a word,” says Charlotte. “They were so excited to find out it was ours and when they ran upstairs to choose their rooms, I felt like I could finally breathe.”

Wesley Mission then helped the family move in and create a budget and payment plan to keep their finances on track. Oscar is still in contact with the family, offering support when it’s needed.

“We’ve all come to think of Oscar as part of the family,” says Charlotte. “If we didn’t have him, I dread to think where we’d be now.”

And while Charlotte wasn’t sure what Christmas would look like this year, she now knows she’ll be spending December doing what she does every year, decorating biscuits with her children, hanging fairy lights and enjoying precious times with her beautiful family.

^{*Names and photos changed to protect privacy.}