Christmas Appeal
Be an angel for a family you’ll never meet
When you give to the 2024 Christmas Appeal, you help families experiencing immense hardship feel love and community around them.
Families like Mel’s, who sadly will have an empty seat at their Christmas table this year.
“It will be our first Christmas without him,” Mel shared.
Earlier this year, Mel* lost her husband Phil* in a tragic accident, leaving her and their two boys, aged five and 12, devastated. Phil was a loving father, a prankster, and the main breadwinner. When he passed, Mel felt like their world had been torn apart.
With Mel only working part-time, finances quickly became a concern. Her employer granted leave without pay to allow her to grieve, but without Phil’s income, Mel was overwhelmed. She found it hard to cope with everyday tasks and couldn’t sleep, worrying about how to support her children both emotionally and financially.
A friend connected Mel with Lutheran Care, where she found the help, she desperately needed. Though apprehensive at first, Mel quickly felt welcomed and cared for by the team.
Lutheran Care provided Mel and her boys with counseling to support their mental health and emergency food relief to ease their immediate struggles.
“When I was handed that bag of essentials, I cried. The kindness and lack of judgement meant the world to me,” Mel said.
A Financial Counsellor also helped Mel organise her finances, liaise with Centrelink, cancel Phil’s subscriptions and navigate insurance paperwork. They even supported her in requesting a school fee waiver, which was granted, bringing significant relief.
As Christmas approaches, Mel is preparing for a bittersweet holiday without Phil, but thanks to Lutheran Care’s generous supporters, they will have a festive meal and gifts for the boys. Mel is now focused on budgeting and plans to give back by volunteering at Lutheran Care in the future.
“We’ll light a candle for Phil this Christmas,” Mel shared. “This isn’t going to stop us. We’re resilient, and we’ll make him proud.”
You are invited to make a donation in honour of a loved one you are missing this Christmas.
Click here to make an online donation, using the ‘Christmas Appeal’ option. When you include your loved one’s details, we’ll create a special angel decoration in their honour and display it proudly on our Lutheran Care Christmas tree.
If you’d like to download an angel to decorate and display at home, click here.
*Names and images have been de-identified to protect clients’ privacy.
Lutheran Care
Will you give a little kindness this Christmas?
This Christmas, Lutheran Care will assist families such as Mel’s with food and gifts to bring some joy and lighten the load. Your gift will also fund and expand important programs to help more vulnerable families have a happier new year ahead.
- $20 - helps keep our Emergency Relief pantry stocked, in preparation for growing demand this Christmas season.
- $60 - will fund a Christmas Hamper for a family in need, including festive foods and age-appropriate gifts for children, to help them have a Christmas celebration.
- $150 - empowers parents with skills and confidence through workshops, support groups, counselling, playgroups and a crèche - helping families begin the new year with hope.
- $250 - provides crucial support for people facing challenges like homelessness, family violence, and mental health concerns, which can often be exacerbated at Christmas time.
- $1000 - will feel like a Christmas miracle for a family escaping violence or homelessness, linking them with emergency housing, clothing, toys, furniture, and essentials.
Lutheran Care
Christmas Angels
Make a donation in honour of a loved one you are missing this Christmas, and be a Christmas angel for a family you’ll never meet.
Christmas can be a difficult time of year when someone you love is no longer here. Many of us will have an empty seat at the Christmas table this year.
We invite you to honour your late loved one with a gift to someone in need this Christmas.
Honouring your loved one with a donation is easy. Simply click here to donate online, using the ‘Christmas Appeal’ option. To celebrate both your donation and your loved one, we can create a unique angel decoration in their honour and display it proudly on our Lutheran Care Christmas tree. You can personalise your dedication, via the donation form, too. For example, “In honour of our grandmother Kate, from John, Alice and the kids”; or “In honour of David, from your grandchildren Kyle and Ava from Nuriootpa.”
If you and your family would like to download your own angel to decorate and display at home, click here.
Thanks for being an angel for a family you’ll never meet.
