Families Facing Hardship Find Support and Renewed Hope During Christmas

Catherine appeared to lead an ideal life, a mother of two young sons with a fulfilling career managing a bank. However, privately, she endured abuse from her partner. She recounted to the BBC: “He was violent and abusive. I ended up in hospital with a head injury and the police said social services might take my children away. I knew that I needed to leave,” Three years prior, Catherine gathered her possessions and escaped with her children from the south west of England, seeking shelter at a refuge in Colchester. She was compelled to sever ties with all acquaintances and begin anew. Her sons struggled to comprehend why they had to abandon their previous lives. She further explained: “I said ‘we’re going to try something new because Mummy isn’t happy’ and I pretended it was a holiday,” “My youngest said ‘this holiday is a bit rubbish can we go home now’. It was the lowest point of my life. I had nothing.” As Catherine enjoys cooking, personnel at the refuge guided her to a community market operated by The C3 Church. She became engaged with the church, which provided assistance during her transition to a new residence. “I just had a mattress on the floor but they helped me so much, from giving us Christmas dinner to a Christmas tree,” she stated while at the church, where she has formed “so many friends”. Catherine mentioned that her sons, currently aged eight and ten, previously received “so many presents” during Christmas and “were spoilt,” but their current life circumstances are markedly different. The 42-year-old expressed gratitude to Emmaus Colchester, a homelessness charity. This organization has gathered and packaged 600 gifts contributed by businesses for families with limited income and those in vulnerable situations. Catherine, who now volunteers at the market, noted that it provides her children with something to anticipate on Christmas Day. She further stated: “I’ve been feeling so guilty that we don’t have as much as we used to. But the boys are happy and they are loved. My eldest said to me the other day, ‘it doesn’t matter what’s under the tree because we have you’.” “They know the true meaning of Christmas now, that it’s important to just be together and they appreciate things more.” Marta arrived at the church to receive a present for her seven-year-old daughter, Maya. During Maya’s infancy, they resided in a bedsit in London and faced financial difficulties. The 38-year-old single mother recounted: “When Maya was three years old, someone gave her £10 as a gift. She said to me ‘Mummy we can be warm now’. She knew we needed the money for electricity and gas.” They subsequently became homeless and moved to Colchester. Upon entering the church, Marta “wanted to give up on life” but discovered a supportive community. She expressed: “The volunteers here are like angels. It means so much to me that Maya can have this gift on Christmas Day,” Dawn received presents for her four children, whose ages span from two to 14. She began attending the church multiple years ago due to challenges with her mental health, having experienced post-partum psychosis following the birth of a stillborn baby. She stated: “Everyone welcomed me and there has never been any judgement. I’m not religious but it doesn’t matter. If I get low, I just know that I need to come here and connect with people,” Dawn was unable to purchase numerous presents for her children this year as she prioritized decorating their bedrooms, and she believes having the gifts to unwrap will make a “huge difference.” Genesis Smith arrived at the church to assist in distributing the gifts, representing Emmaus. The 20-year-old resides and is employed at one of the charity’s facilities in Colchester, having experienced homelessness in the past. He explained: “I was a carer for my mum from the age of 12 but our relationship broke down and I had nowhere to live so I was sleeping on friends’ sofas,” Genesis noted that his relationship with his mother has significantly improved, and he finds great satisfaction in living within a community and possessing a sense of purpose. He added: “I sort through donations to the charity on a day-to-day basis. It’s been lovely getting involved in this project and wrapping and giving out the gifts,” For updates on Essex news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the material found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.