We should share gift of hope
I HAVE worked for the Salvation Army for more than 10 years, yet when the results of our Roy Morgan Christmas poll came back this year I was shocked by one of the findings.
It reported that about 500,000 children under 10 in Australia are unlikely to receive Christmas presents. How could this be? I have spoken to countless parents over the years who have had their Christmas made brighter through our annual Christmas Cheer operations.
Each year, the Salvos distribute toy and food hampers to more than 70,000 people in need. I’ve seen the truckloads of generously donated gifts and lovingly prepared hampers.
So I was stunned when the poll suggested there was still likely to be kids going without presents.
Then, as circumstance had it, I spent an afternoon at a Salvation Army centre chatting to women who were all waiting to see our Doorways Emergency Assistance worker.
One had slept in her car the night before. Another was facing a loss of income just before Christmas.
There was camaraderie as the tissue box was shared around and I heard some familiar words: “I feel terrible coming in here, there are so many people worse off than me.”
One of the women, June, and her four children hit rock-bottom two years ago when her husband, and sole breadwinner, was unable to provide.
A few weeks before Christmas, June reluctantly went to the Salvos for help with her mounting bills. She got more than she expected.
June had prepared each of her children for the fact there would be no Christmas presents that year.
They understood, in the stoic way kids do when circumstances force them to grow up too fast.
But, at the Salvos, we believe in the spirit of Christmas – of joy, peace and hope. June left that day with her bills taken care of, presents for her children and a supermarket voucher to buy Christmas lunch.
Hearing her elation at the thought they could afford to buy a Christmas ham and two roast chickens, as well as some chocolate baubles for their Christmas tree, was humbling.
Those are items I enjoy but tend to take for granted. June, however, felt like she had won the lottery.
She went on to describe what Christmas Day looked like for her family that year. The kids woke up and, with squeals of delight, opened their presents. Then, while playing out the front they discovered the five kids in the family down the street weren’t having a Christmas that year. That’s right, no Christmas. The family was in financial dire straits so there were no celebrations. These were the people the Salvation Army’s poll had highlighted.
So June and her children rallied. They ran around the house seeking things they could turn into presents so each of the children from the struggling family would have a gift.
A rubber ball was covered with colourful hair-ties and placed into a lovingly decorated cupcake case; a handful of lollipops were tied beautifully with a ribbon; a packet of water balloons from the third drawer was wrapped up.
June and her children went down the street and invited the family back to their tiny, two-bedroom unit to share Christmas. The gifts were small but a message was sent out – there are people in this world who care.
June says it was their best Christmas yet with 22 of them all sitting on the floor of her unit, sharing Christmas lunch, followed by a kids’ waterballoon fight out the front.
This Christmas, June and her kids will again receive help from the Salvos. Their situation has improved, though they still struggle with high rents and underemployment.
This year, however, they’re doing something different. They are going to take their gifts from the Salvos and head to a local spot where they know whole families are homeless and sleeping rough. And they will give those gifts away, bringing Christmas and hope to children and families with nothing.
This Christmas Day, I will take a moment to thank God for June and other Australians like her who care enough to give hope where it’s needed most.
The Salvos are not the only agency that does it. If you’re in need at Christmas time, all you need to do is let agencies such as the Salvos know, and help is available. Lauren Martin is head of communications at the Salvation Army.