Penina can’t help but smile when her son starts singing ‘Praise’, a song he learnt at church, at the top of his lungs while on the train.
“When I see little positive impacts on my children, that’s when I realise, I am doing a good job,” Penina says.
Since connecting with Denee, her Caseworker from Wesley Family Preservation, Penina has rekindled her faith – and she says, she owes it all to Wesley Mission.
“I’ve become very in tune with God. I recently got baptised and I’ve just found this overwhelming sense of unconditional love that I have never, ever felt or received.
“One of the goals I made with Denee was to connect with a church community. And this program has allowed me to do that. If it wasn’t for the support of Wesley Mission, I wouldn’t have been able to be in touch with my spiritual side.”
A mother of two kids, for a long time Penina struggled to parent alone. In a moment of desperation, Penina Googled ‘parenting support’ and discovered Wesley Mission.
“I just wanted to be the best parent I could. We’d been going through such hardship. I thought, surely there’s a program out there that can help me. I was willing to give Wesley Mission a try because doing nothing was not getting me anywhere,” Penina explains.
Penina is now so glad she found the courage to seek out help. “Honestly, it’s been the best journey ever since,” smiles Penina.
When Penina first met Denee, they instantly connected, and Penina was thankful to finally have someone in her corner.
“I have developed such a great relationship with Denee. She empowered me as a mum. She didn’t belittle or degrade. I felt I was in control, even when going through a storm. I know 100 per cent that Denee had our best interests at heart because that’s what it felt like.”
While Penina says she still has a long way to go, she found healing and confidence in just five months of support from Wesley Family Preservation.
“I think the growth that she already shows is just amazing. The way she now manages and deals with her emotions is completely different from where she was. But I think the most significant thing is that Penina has been able to recognise that change in herself,” says Denee.
Penina is grateful for all the support Denee has given her and says she wouldn’t be where she is today without Denee.
“This has been the greatest experience with Denee. I remember there was a time when I randomly texted her at night because I was feeling quite low and overwhelmed. I believe that speaks volumes for me because I’m not a person who just trusts people, but I felt confident that she was a safe place I could go to.”
Penina hopes by sharing her story she will not only inspire others to ask for support, but she’ll also be an example to her own kids.
“I’ve been sharing my story with everyone and anyone. I plan to write a book about this because I honestly feel it will inspire a lot of people,” Penina says.
“I want my daughter and my son to know that it is OK to reach out for any kind of help. I want to encourage them not to be afraid to research as I did, because it may be life-changing.