As he watched his four young children open their Christmas presents last year, Paul Deng says his heart was filled with happiness.
In the weeks before, the solo father of four had been to UnitingSA’s Toy Room to collect something special for each of his children – Deng, 6; Dimo, 5; Ajok, 3 and one-year-old Abraham.
He says access to the Toy Room saved the family’s Christmas because buying gifts for his children was out of the question as he struggled to find secure housing and make ends meet.
It had been a difficult time for Paul and his family and one which included a period of homelessness and the accompanying stress and anxiety.
But Paul came to realise he could depend on UnitingSA to provide support when needed.
Donate to UnitingSA’s Christmas Appeal.
Once again, this year he has registered for gifts so that his children have something under the tree while – with the help of UnitingSA social workers – he continues working to further stabilise his situation.
This includes recently settling into secure housing in the inner northern suburbs.
It has certainly been a stressful period for the family, with Paul and his wife separating and Paul taking on sole responsibility for the children.
Paul, born in South Sudan and a former social worker, gave up his job when problems started to arise within his family.
“In my culture you grew up in an extended family – brothers, sisters, cousins, uncles,” he says.
“They are all there to help you if things get difficult. It doesn’t work like that here and you can feel like you’re on your own. I had a lot of help from Sister Joyce and Sister Gina from the Adelaide Day Centre for Homeless People – they helped me get my house.
“Our primary school has been supportive in meeting my children’s daily needs and enhancing their wellbeing during school hours.”
When Paul and his wife started having problems, he took a job that saw him working at night so that he could be at home during the day with the children.
This pressure led to difficulties coping with work and juggling his family responsibilities. And that’s when, near breaking point, Paul reached out for help and was put in touch with UnitingSA.
He said it was one of the best things he could have done and accepted the assistance of UnitingSA’s Emergency Relief and Men and Family Relationships programs.
“I was needing help for my family to stay together, but also realised that I needed to see someone to help me. That’s how I came to the Men’s Program about three years ago and I still go,” he says.
“David helped me to move forward and be positive. He helped me to think about what the most important thing to me was – that is my children. I don’t want to let them down.
“Last Christmas I used the Toy Room to get something good for them. It would have been so difficult not to have something for them and I didn’t want to disappoint them.”
With the breakdown of his relationship, Paul says that by following the advice of UnitingSA’s support workers he was able to keep his children with him and find secure housing.
“Anyone who is having trouble, the first step is to reach out to people who can get you some counselling and decide what’s important to you,” he says.
Want to help a family like Paul’s this Christmas?
You can help put a smile on a child’s face this Christmas.
Last Christmas, more than 500 families visited the Toy Room and we need your help to keep it stocked and ready for the festive season.
Your financial donations also go a long way in providing essential emergency relief for families facing hardship or homelessness, helping them access food, clothing and hygiene products.
How does the Toy Room work?
UnitingSA works every day with people who are doing it tough. Amongst their clients are many families who need help with gifts and food at Christmas time.
Parents and caregivers are invited to browse the Toy Room in the weeks before Christmas to select a gift, stocking fillers and wrapping paper for their child or children who would otherwise go without.
Not only do the parents get the joy of choosing a gift that they know their child will love – our donors know their gifts are going to child who will delight in unwrapping their gift on Christmas morning.
To donate, please view our Christmas Appeal page.