A Wesley Mission report has estimated that between a quarter and a third of the homeless population in Australia are whole families, and not individuals as you may think. The report also shows a growing number of families in Sydney are being displaced by a critical shortage of rental accommodation, particularly those that are struggling with mental health issues.

The report is the result of a study of 50 homeless families and examines their experiences, the causes of homelessness and the impact on the children involved. As part of a 11 point plan to help homeless families, Wesley Mission has also called for increased community and a shift towards more appropriate integrated models of care, plus a more flexible system for families applying for accommodation.

CEO of Wesley Mission, the Rev Dr Keith Garner, said -

Alarmingly, the population of homeless families is on the rise. They are in our suburbs, sleeping on the floor in a relative or friend’s house, sleeping in their car, living in a refuge after they’ve left a violent partner, sitting patiently at Centrelink trying to arrange emergency accommodation or living with their three kids in a motel room until a vacancy comes up on the long waiting list for public housing. They’re mostly young, more often than not women, and they are almost always accompanied by young children. A growing number of families who have never experienced homelessness before have the overwhelming impression that the welfare system is complex, confusing and alienating.

The most common reason for family homelessness was domestic violence, which accounts for 40% of people leaving home, almost double the second most quoted cause – relationship breakdown or divorce. The report also revealed that newly homeless families did not know where to turn for help, with many people often disconnected from their support networks.

By making a donation, you can help fund the ground breaking work carried out by the Wesley Mission. It’s thanks to people like you that they can continue to work with the community to come to the aid of those who are homeless and without hope.

Help the Wesley Mission with a Charity Gift

Making a difference is easy, all you need to do is -

• Choose a gift from Wesley Gift Shop.
• Dedicate the gift to a loved one or friend by sending them a printed card or an e-card.
• Help Wesley Mission assist the most vulnerable in our community.

Shop at the Wesley Gift Shop and help Wesley Mission help the poorest and the most disadvantaged people in New South Wales.

> > Click here to order at Wesley Gift Shop

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."

This year, instead of buying traditional Christmas gifts, why not buy charity gifts on behalf of your loved ones and friends? By purchasing a present at the Wesley Gift Shop you will not only be offering an amazing gift to a friend of loved one, but also helping some of the poorest and most disadvantaged people in Australia.

There’s a great selection of innovative and original gifts to choose from,  with each one helping someone that the Wesley Mission cares for.

Gifts include -

• Stationery Set: Just $20 buys a stationery set for a school child from a disadvantaged home.
• Rhyming books: A $50 gift will buy 10 nursery rhyme books to help kids improve literacy skills and become confident readers.
• Horseback heroes: For $80 you can provide horse-riding classes for disadvantaged kids to give them a chance to have some fun and build self-esteem.

Whatever you choose to buy, you will be helping someone in need. Like Bronwyn and her family. Bronwyn, 41, a single mother-of-five, spends her life struggling to make ends meet while trying to be there for her children. Then in quick succession, her husband’s business went bankrupt, and he walked out on the family.

Bronwyn lost her nice house in the Blue Mountains and now lives in a Department of Housing home in far western Sydney, with eviction a constant threat. Bronwyn’s youngest son, Jacob, has serious mental and physical disabilities and requires constant care and expensive medical treatments. Things haven’t always been so tough.

Bronwyn said -

I bought my first house when I was 17 and worked multiple jobs to pay it off by the time I was 30. I have to work nights now so I can be home during the day to look after Jacob. I rely on my oldest daughter to look after the other kids and it’s not fair because she needs time for study and just being a teenager. I don’t want to be rich, I just want to get my head above the water and keep it there.

Bronwyn recently decided to talk to Wesley Mission Financial Counsellor Joanne Hunt in Penrith. After six months working with Joanne, Bronwyn has consistently reduced her debt.

Making a difference is easy this Christmas. All you need to do is

• Choose a gift from Wesley Gift Shop.
• Dedicate the gift to a loved one or friend by sending them a printed card or an e-card.
• Help Wesley Mission assist the most vulnerable in our community.

Shop at the Wesley Gift Shop and help Wesley Mission help the poorest and the most disadvantaged people in New South Wales this Christmas. A Wesley Gift captures the true spirit of Christmas as no other gift can.

> > Click here to order at Wesley Gift Shop

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."

At some point in their lives 7 out of 10 people in New South Wales will experience or know someone who is experiencing a mental health problem.Helping to address this serious situation, Wesley Mission LifeForce is a national program that helps people understand suicide and provides them with practical strategies to help people who are at risk.

Suicide prevention workshops dispel some of the myths around suicide, and take participants on a journey down the road to suicide, allowing them to gain insight into how a suicidal person thinks and what the warning signs are. Participants also learn how to approach and engage the person, and who to refer them to for qualified help.

People who have attended LifeForce seminars and workshops include parents, teachers, social workers, psychologists, doctors, sports coaches, police, emergency workers, concerned friends, bar staff, and many others. Since 2002 LifeForce has trained more than 8,000 people through its suicide prevention workshops.

Rodney Cole from LifeForce said -

One of our key messages is ‘don’t wait’. If you see signs such as worrying behaviour change or mood swings, or detect feelings of hopelessness, then act. Put the invitation out there that you’ve got time to talk and use open-ended questions such as ‘so tell me about . . .?’ which require more than a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. Too often people see depressed children or friends and think ‘it will pass’. It may well do, but can you afford to take that risk?”

LifeForce also helps to build the capacity of communities to prevent suicide, and holds memorial services for those grieving over the loss of a loved one.
Help Wesley Mission continue to offer these services by buying a Wesley Gift. Each one you buy will help the disadvantaged and vulnerable in our community. Furthermore, if you are buying it for a friend or loved one, they will receive a beautiful e-card to let them know that they have shared in helping the needy.

A Wesley Gift of $40 helps pay for a crisis phone counselling session. It can provide a sympathetic ear when there is no one else to talk to. Lifeline Sydney & Sutherland are there for people in desperate need of help, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Buy a gift today and help someone in need.

> > Click here to order a Wesley Gift today

> > Click here to join the Wesley Mission Facebook Group

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."