Carevan Blacktown Good News Story
A good news story
Living ( or sometime simply existing) very close to the poverty line means going without, sacrifice and hardship and services such as ours help simply by providing a little gap filler – Whether it be a meal or two to allow for pennies saved to pay for kids school needs, petrol for the car or an electricity bill – whatever we can help with, we do.
We rely in turn on the goodwill and enormous generosity of the community which donates to Carevan Blacktown – meals, clothing, household goods and so much more, so that we can be a presence in the community and pass on this much needed care to people in need – and there are so many people in need – People who find their way to us and so many who don’t.
Carevan Blacktown welcomes all who attend without question, criteria or cost. We do not question why patrons attend our services, we simply understand that if people are coming to join us it is because they are in need of support – food, clothing, company or all of these.
We recently received a referral from Centrelink for a patron in need of food and general support for herself and her family of young children, while finding their feet, a home, a job and safety. A refugee looking to establish a new home and life in Australia, this patron has escaped the turmoil of her previous life. Much of what this patron needed was beyond our capacity to provide (sadly, we can’t provide jobs or houses) but we can provide practical assistance with the basics and we did.
We sourced and delivered furniture and furnishings to her new home in a small house which was secured through the ‘regular’ channels, enabling this lovely hard working mum to establish a new safe place for her family and herself, where once not long before, was uncertainty and insecurity.
We provided food supplies ~ basics like fruit and veg so she could continue in her cherished role as mother, cook, and sole carer for her children ~ preferring not the prepared meals, but whatever raw ingredients we could provide, fruit and veg (from Foodbank, Box Divvy kindness boxes and the Carevan Blacktown kitchen and food supplies) so that she could make the children’s meals herself from scratch – taking care of whatever was in her capacity to control, leaning on support such as Carevan Blacktown’s only for that which was necessary.
This patron received regular deliveries and care, was able to reach out to us if in need of anything and did so with dignity and gratitude for anything they received, never asking nor taking more than she and her family needed.
Nothing was taken for granted and we know anything that went to this home was needed and cared for ~ respectful of its origins from someone, unknown to her, in the community donating items to help others – We act simply as the conduit of kindness between these two points.
On delivery of meals, groceries, furniture – anything- to this new happy home- our volunteer (usually our very own CEO and delivery man – Andrew) would be invited in to share a meal or a chat. Recently this lovely patron let us know that she has secured employment – a role to bring income and support and one which accommodates her children’s needs. It means this patron will not need the weekly support anymore, a happy outcome of course but a little sad to say goodbye ~ although we know its not goodbye, as this family are now our friends and part of the Carevan Blacktown community.
Such a lovely story of how Carevan Blacktown can (and did) help – we are available for people in need any time and pass on the care we receive to people in need of this love and support, for a brief time while they find their feet, or as they become part of our community of support, connection and friendship… hopefully both.
“A small moment of helping others can make a big impact”
