This year’s Uniting Winter Share Appeal means more than ever before to so many people.
In these trying times, the face of vulnerability is changing.
Thousands of Victorians and Tasmanians are finding themselves unemployed for the first time and are already reaching out to Uniting services for support – and this is only the start.
One of those people is Matt. He was clearly devastated when he arrived at Uniting Hobart. After 14 years in his job he was made redundant. Having full-time care of his young daughter and looking after his elderly mother makes this situation extremely challenging for him, as you can imagine.
For many of us, we’re adapting to these unfamiliar shifts in what we once considered our normal daily life. It’s hard to conceive how tough it must be to not only be in isolation and have lost your sense of self, but also to have suddenly lost the ability to care for the people that you cherish.
All people deserve to have a sense of wellbeing and this is only possible when we work alongside each other.
Update on Matt
28.08.20
Matt* shared his story in our recent Winter Share Appeal. The young Tassie dad was devastated when he was made redundant at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Matt is in a much better mental health space than he was in April when he first reached out for emergency relief. He’s more comfortable accepting support from our team and has been approved for government benefits while he looks for work.
“Matt cares for his young daughter and elderly mother,” said program coordinator, Charlotte Ryan. “The little one has recently been diagnosed with epilepsy, which has been emotional.
“Matt’s welfare payments aren’t quite enough to cover the bills so we are supporting the family with the basics they need to get by.”
Thanks to your generosity, over $775,000 has been raised for the Winter Share Appeal.
*This is a true story about a real person. Some details such as names have been changed to respect the wishes of the person featured.
