This Christmas, many of us will gather around a table to share a festive meal filled with food, love, and laughter.

But what if you had no table to gather around, no food to serve, and no one to sit by your side?

Sadly, that is the reality for many people who will turn to AnglicareSA for help this Christmas – people like Lisa* and her children.

Last Christmas, Lisa and her children were living in a small motel room with no kitchen and no Christmas tree and certainly no sense of home – but it was the only safe place they had to go.

“Leaving my husband to escape his violence was the hardest thing I have ever done,” Lisa said. “But I knew it was the only way to keep my children safe.

“Those first few months were so tough because I felt like I had let my children down.

“I remember crying most nights, wondering how I would ever give my children a normal life again, but then I found AnglicareSA.”

Our Emergency Assistance team provided food vouchers, essentials, and emotional support with dignity that showed Lisa she was not alone anymore.

That first connection led Lisa to our Turning Point program, which combines AnglicareSA’s case management expertise with the housing portfolio of Believe Housing Australia – our housing arm – to help women and children fleeing violence to find safety, rebuild their lives, and move toward secure housing.

For the first time in months, Lisa and her children could sleep on a comfortable bed in a proper home while a dedicated Homelessness Case Manager walked beside her every step of the way, helping her make a safety plan, access food support, and begin to rebuild.

“My children are now back at school, laughing again, and feeling settled,” Lisa said. “For the first time in a long time, our home feels peaceful.

“This Christmas, I will hang decorations in our own home and cook a simple meal with my children by my side.

“We have come so far, and I am so grateful.”

Right now, many more South Australians are experiencing crisis this Christmas.

In the past year alone, AnglicareSA provided more than 15,000 instances of emergency relief, and 22 families are currently being supported through our Turning Point program.

*Name changed to protect identity