Thank you from Joanne

Joanne struggled to make ends meet in the lead up to the Christmas period. She wanted to provide gifts and a Christmas lunch for her family but did not have the money.

Joanne has five children. Her 18-year-old and 21-year-old sons both currently live with her. Her 11-year-old daughter and 8-year-old twins are currently in care, while she finds more appropriate and permanent housing. Joanne was homeless – couch surfing and sleeping in a car, before finding a private rental. However, after paying her rent each week she has only $20 to for food and other essentials. Buying Christmas presents for her children wouldn’t be possible.

Thankfully, through the support of generous donors like yourself, Joanne was able to provide her family with a Christmas.

“[Hobart City Mission’s Christmas Assistance Program] makes it so much easier”, says Joanne. “Three or four weeks before Christmas you start to think ‘oh no, how will I manage this?’ It helps to ease the stress. It helps heaps with food, and toys for my children”. 

Thanks to you, Joanne gave her children a beautiful Christmas lunch as well as a gift each.

“I got to spend time with my kids on Christmas Day. It was really nice. We went to the park, had Christmas lunch of salad and prawns, and the kids opened their presents which they loved”.

Joanne will be moving to George Town soon to ease the rental stress, and try to regain custody of her children.

“Hopefully when I move to George Town and get settled my children can join me. We’ll have a new start and a new beginning”.

“Hobart City Mission has helped me a lot over the years. I’ve always found them to be really good, very friendly and really helpful. They’ve helped me out with furniture from the Moonah Op Shop, and helped me to pay my bills.”

“I’m generally quite stubborn. I like to do it on my own but sometimes it’s good to ask for help to make ends meet”.

Joanne was one of 670 families who needed assistance over the Christmas period. These families received food, toys and gifts because of your kind donations. Thank you for supporting the Christmas Appeal to ensure families like Joanne’s could have a happy Christmas.