Anna’s Story
Anna (26) was living in her car. Publicly parking and sleeping in her vehicle meant she was hit with numerous parking fines and she quickly accrued more than $7,000 in penalties.
By the time we met Anna, she presented with a simple request of a can of beans and some bread. After listening to her story, AnglicareSA was able to do much more to support her in addressing the challenges she faced and regaining her dignity and zest for life.
As we advocated on Anna’s behalf to address her debts, we also supported her through the eight weeks of intensive community service work required to payoff her parking debts.
Anna has gone from strength to strength since being freed of financial burden. She has secured a stable and affordable home close to her elderly mum and has offered to continue volunteering at the community service program where she worked off her debt.
Give the gift of dignity this Christmas
This year we invite you to bring the spirit of Christmas to people in need. For most of us Christmas is a time for overindulging, and sharing the joy of the season with family and friends. But for some, Christmas is a time of dread, loneliness and anxiety. Through both short and long-term support, each day we work alongside those who are struggling in our community to maintain and restore their capacity, dignity and pride. Your donation enables us to support:
- people in crisis with emergency assistance (food, clothing and shelter);
- those escaping domestic violence have somewhere to live;
- the long-term unemployed with financial counselling;
- people who are experiencing homelessness with brand new clothing;
- and so much more.
The Elizabeth Mission even offers a free lunch on Christmas Day where those experiencing isolation can come together and enjoy the festivities of the season. Over the coming weeks, we anticipate a very busy time in our Emergency Assistance centres and urgently need to raise $180,000 before Christmas to enable us to be there for those who have no one else to turn to.