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The festive season can be a most blessed time to share with our families.

But for those who have fallen on hard times, it can come with its fair share of anxiety, from dealing with family members with whom relationships are strained, to having to scrape together enough money for a meal and something for the children to open on Christmas Day.

Whether it’s by giving away Christmas hampers, toys, and vouchers, or just listening to a person’s story with a supportive ear, Lutheran Care is proud to be there for our clients and their families to bring some joy and dignity at this time of year.

Jade's story: 'A Christmas without any fear'

Through our work, we come into contact with many parents who are moving heaven and earth to do the best they can for their kids in the face of adversity. We would like to share with you the story of Jade, a long-time client of ours in the Barossa Valley, who found the courage to change not only her life, but those of her two children.

When Jade first made contact with Lutheran Care about seven years ago, she was in danger of becoming a statistic.
She sought our assistance, alongside support from SAPOL, to help her escape, as she describes it, “10 long years of domestic violence” perpetrated by her ex-partner.

Jade says the warning signs of an unhealthy relationship were there from an early stage. When he pushed to move to a regional area where she knew no-one, Jade found herself cut off from family and friendship supports, and under his increasing control. Having two children didn’t stop the relationship continuing on its disturbing trajectory, with Jade’s partner’s behaviour escalating into financial, emotional and physical abuse.

When an opportunity to move back to the Barossa came up, Jade hoped things would change with a fresh new start. They got exceedingly worse. “It got to the point where he was so unpredictable, I didn’t know if I was still going to be alive the next day,” Jade explains.

The straw that broke the camel’s back?

“It wasn’t just me being harmed; it was also getting to the point that my children were being affected emotionally - it was evident in their development and behaviour.”

The period when someone leaves a domestic violence situation is the most dangerous. “I knew deep down it was the right thing to do... It was just a matter of reaching out and staying strong and not being ashamed to do so.”

Through a specialised Domestic Violence support person we provided regular assistance to Jade, and we also helped her secure a home for her family. On top of this, we supported her with counselling, budgeting advice, and groceries from our Emergency Relief pantry, which Jade credits with helping her keep her family afloat. Over the years as a struggling single parent, Jade has continued to call on our support in times of need, including at Christmas: “if you get to the point where you can’t afford to get your children presents it’s always nice,” she says.

While Jade still bears the scars from the trauma she experienced, life is looking much brighter. Her children are now thriving at school, and Jade herself is studying at university to be a social worker. She’s excelling academically, in the top cohort of students in her course, and wants to use her skills and experience to help others, one day. She has pride in herself and her kids are pretty proud, too. And so they should be.

With your assistance this Christmas, we can support more families in need like Jade’s. Can you help?

You can make a donation online here, or please scroll down to find out how to donate offline.

Thank you for your support, and God bless you.