Sally’s story: finding hope
- Details
Life was an uphill battle for Sally. After her husband was incarcerated, Sally was left to care for six children alone. Overwhelmed, anxious, and exhausted, Sally was doing her best to hold her family together, but her mental and physical health were starting to fray.
Sally’s youngest son struggled with severe anxiety, while her teenage daughter, Fiona, began skipping school, running away and mixing with the wrong crowd. Watching her children struggle, Sally feared for their future.
This wasn’t the life Sally wanted for her children, and she knew their futures were at stake. As tired as she was, she stepped up to take control of turning her family’s lives around.
Determined to change things for the better, Sally reached out to Mission Australia’s Family Support Service at Hambledon House.
Hambledon House Community Centre is a Mission Australia program in Cairns that offers activities and support for children and families. Our team work with local groups to help people feel connected and get the support they need.
Through family counselling and a parenting program, Sally learned the importance of prioritising her own health and happiness so she can be the best mum she can.
Sally put into practice some of the new strategies to manage her own stress and prioritise her well-being. This, in turn, strengthened her bond with her children.
It took work, but Sally and Fiona have learned healthier ways to communicate with each other, and their relationship is healthier than ever. Sally is proud of the changes she’s seeing in Fiona’s behaviour.
Counselling helped Sally’s youngest son learn to manage his anxiety and now he’s thriving at school.
Mental health and homelessness
Australia’s homelessness and mental health crises underscore the importance of services like ours. Over 122,000 Australians are homeless on any given night1. Around 37% of people receiving support from homelessness services also face mental health challenges that make their journey back to stability all the more difficult2. Learn about the causes of homelessness.
Sally and her family now have the tools to create the life they deserve. Your contributions are making a lasting difference—thank you for empowering families to rebuild and thrive.
*Names and images have been changed to protect the identities of the people we helped
1ABS (2021) Census of Population and Housing: Estimating Homelessness
2AIHW (2023) Specialist homelessness services annual report 2022-23
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