Help for Jenny, Luke

The
Catholic Weekly
Online

Sydney
23 November 2003

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Help for Jenny, Luke

A Vinnies budgeting counsellor helps Jenny with financial advice

Jenny and her son Luke found out that there is a light more powerful than any darkness. Last Christmas, they felt so alone.

“Luke’s father left soon after he was born,” says Jenny. “I felt abandoned and angry. It was hard bringing him up alone, but he’s great and we coped most of the time”.

But then Jenny’s mother died.

Without her mother’s help with the rent, Jenny’s part time job was not enough to make ends meet.

They looked at moving somewhere cheaper, but everywhere else was too expensive.

“I got really behind with the bills,” Jenny recalls. “There was the cost of the funeral and Luke grows so fast. Shoes that fitted him seemed more important than bills.”

There was no one around to help. Jenny was put in touch with the local conference of the St Vincent de Paul Society, ordinary people who wanted to help and started making Jenny and Luke feel better.

They helped them out, provided basic essentials, company, budget counselling and support.

They paid some bills and helped Jenny with her debts.

Knowing that Christmas would be particularly tough on Jenny and Luke, Vinnies is preparing to ensure that the festive season will be more enjoyable this year.

“They’ve promised us a few extras for Christmas lunch and even a small tree,” says Jenny.

There are ways the community can help people like Jenny and Luke and replace darkness with light. You could volunteer at one of Vinnies refuges or homeless hostels, serving Christmas meals.

You could donate cash by calling the Sydney Archdiocesan office on (02) 9568 0237 or you could donate good quality clothing, toys and non-perishable food items to your local centre.

Schools and businesses are invited to collect goods from their communities and to help their local Vinnies assemble hampers for families who are less fortunate.

This Christmas, Vinnies asks you to remember the words of Mother Teresa: “There is a light in the world, a healing spirit more powerful than any darkness we may encounter. We sometimes lose sight of this force when there is suffering or too much pain. Then suddenly, the spirit will emerge through the lives of ordinary people who hear a call and answer in extraordinary ways.”

By reaching out this season you can help give meaning to Christmas again for those who face a bleak future today.