Eager to find a new lease on life, Cassie* left her hometown to get away from her drug addiction and violent relationship. But life as a single mum has been challenging.
With three kids under the age of 10, Cassie realised she needed to put her life on hold by discontinuing her work experience at TAFE, to provide full-time care for her children.
Paying the bills and putting food on the table whilst caring for her young children was a struggle, until Cassie approached CatholicCare Victoria for financial support.
About one-third of single parents in Victoria (300,000) are living near or below the poverty line**.
We are launching our annual CatholicCare Victoria Sunday Appeal to provide compassionate care to families like Cassie’s, so that they can focus on living life to the full rather than fighting to put food on the table.
When we asked Cassie what challenges she was dealing with before accessing support from CatholicCare Victoria, she told us:
“Just not being able to afford a lot of food. I have growing kids, so they’re constantly eating and eating and then obviously I had to worry about myself eating as well. So at the start I wasn't actually eating a lot because I had to feed my kids a lot, as well as paying rent, doing bills and a rego that I had to take my kids to appointments and stuff. So I found it really tough.”
As well as financial assistance, Cassie received support to access a counsellor near her, as she was struggling to cope with her mental health issues and suicidal thoughts.
“Without my kids, I probably wouldn’t even be here. But I just couldn’t leave my kids and didn’t want them to grow up thinking it was their fault,” Cassie says.
Mothers like Cassie need your help urgently. Your generous donation to the 2023 CatholicCare Victoria Sunday Appeal mean Cassie and her young children get every opportunity to succeed.
“It’s a massive impact, a massive bill I don’t have to worry about,” Cassie says about the financial assistance she has received from CatholicCare Victoria. “Two to three hundred dollars… that’s nearly two weeks of pay for me as a mum.”
Through the food and fuel vouchers she has received from CatholicCare Victoria, Cassie is able to buy fruits and vegetables for her family, pay for her car registration and save money to provide her children with presents for those special moments like birthdays and Christmas.
It takes a village to raise a child.
There is a way to help vulnerable families like Cassie’s thrive. Donate today online or donate to the Sunday Appeal in your local Catholic parish.
Donate to support families
*At CatholicCare Victoria, we respect everyone who comes to us for help. Many are working towards a fresh start in life. So, while the story and quotes are true, the client name and images have been changed to protect their privacy. Thank you for your understanding.
**National Council of Single Mothers and their Children.
Liz Gellel | Manager, External Marketing and Communications