Give a child like Elizabeth somewhere safe to sleep this winter...
Can you imagine a little baby having to spend a winter night out in the cold? It’s just devastating. But sadly, this is what happened to baby Elizabeth*.
Sarah* and her baby Elizabeth experienced heartbreaking abuse and violence from her husband, the very person they should have been able to rely on most for unconditional love and protection. They were eventually able to escape domestic violence, but the journey was difficult and tough.
“One time I cuddled my baby in a shop doorway all night,” Sarah remembers. “It was winter, and I was freezing cold and drenched with the rain.”
Across Australia tonight, over 19,400 children like Elizabeth won’t have a home to sleep in.
How you can help...
- Make a much needed donation to give people experiencing homelessness warmth this winter.
- Speak up about homelessness by completing the declaration.
Tonight, over 19,400 children in Australia won’t have a home to sleep in1. Nearly half of them have experienced domestic violence2, like baby Elizabeth.
“When Elizabeth was a few weeks old and crying, her dad locked her up in a cupboard,” remembers Sarah. “Another time when she cried, he threw her on the couch. He’d lock me in a room and tell me I couldn’t go comfort her.”
When they fled home, Sarah felt utterly desolate and exhausted. She spent her nights shivering on the streets in the rain, hugging Elizabeth close to protect her from the weather as best she could.
But thanks to the generosity of people like you, Sarah and Elizabeth’s lives turned around when they were connected with a Wesley Mission caseworker.
“I don’t know where Elizabeth and I would be today without Wesley Mission and our caseworker Judith,” Sarah says.
“She found us a new home… we’re safe, we can breathe.
Judith helped me apply for Centrelink because I had no money and no way to support myself and Elizabeth.
She gave us food hampers and called me a few days a week to check in and make sure we had what we needed. She even gave us some furniture.
Without Wesley Mission, I wouldn’t have been able to get my head around everything or get back on my feet at all.” Sarah said.
“Wesley Mission has been an extremely great support. I think if we didn’t have this help, I might not be here now. My situation before was so terrible that many times I just didn’t want to live. I believe Wesley Mission has saved my life.”
Your tax-deductible donation today can help give people like Sarah, Elizabeth and many others warm clothes, blankets, food and most importantly, a secure home where they can start building a better future. Can you help?
1Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2021.
2CoreLogic 2022.
*Names and images changed to protect privacy