Real People, Real Stories. Help for Martha's family

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‘I feel lighter…Making changes was really what I needed and that’s what The Salvation Army were able to give me’ says Martha today.

Martha found herself in an extremely difficult situation that she hadn’t prepared for. Her children had already left the nest, so when Martha’s grandchildren were placed into her care with no extra income to support them, things got really tough. She ended up in debt and with very little hope for the future.

When Martha arrived at The Salvation Army for help, she was welcomed with open hearts and without judgement. Budgeting mentor Damien says, at the time ‘she was very much broken, had very little hope for the future, and just didn’t know what to do.’

The team helped Martha with food parcels so that she could feed her grandchildren and set her up with regular budgeting sessions. Damien’s mentoring equipped Martha with the skills she needed to pay off her debts and plan for her and her grandchildren's future.

Martha describes this budgeting help as life-changing. ‘Making changes was really what I needed and that’s what they were able to give me.’

Fast forward to today, Martha is independent, and she confidently manages her money with the skills she learnt from The Salvation Army. She has plans to study in the new year and wants to start a daycare from her home. She says ‘The Salvation Army put me here where I am now, they told me what needed to be done and I did the work, but without their help I wouldn’t know where I would be now.’  

When Martha received support at the start of the school year, it meant that she was able to stay on track with her budgeting plan and send her grandchildren to school knowing that they had everything they needed to thrive.

She says,

‘My grandchildren, they’re much healthier, I’m able to clothe them, which I wasn’t able to before, and we have food, that’s the big change, and they are happy I’m just so proud I’ve been able to go to The Salvation Army and get results, and look at me now, me and my grandchildren are set for the future.’

The transformation in Martha is remarkable. It required a lot of hard work and perseverance, and unconditional love and support from the team at the Army.

To make a meaninful difference to families like Martha's, you can support our Back to School Appeal. Send Kiwi children back to school with a smile.