WALKING THE WALK AT STREETLEVEL

6 January 2016

“Streetlevel staff and volunteers are some of the most loving human beings I have ever met. That has probably been one of the really significant parts of my faith and recovery journey – to watch people love and serve unconditionally every single day." – Jacqui

The first time Jacqui walked into The Salvation Army’s Brisbane Streetlevel Mission to volunteer, she immediately turned and fled.

“At first, I was frightened,” she laughs, talking of the service and the people she is now passionate about. “I couldn’t see anyone in a Salvation Army uniform. All I could see was a group of people who looked needy, homeless, some mentally unwell!”

Brisbane Streetlevel Mission works to provide a safe and supportive community for people, including those who struggle with poverty, isolation, addiction and homelessness. The service provides spiritual support, plus assistance for people who are in crisis with emergency relief vouchers, free meals, opportunities to volunteer, referrals and emotional support.

Encouraged by her case worker after she graduated from The Salvation Army’s Brisbane Recovery Service (Moonyah), Jacqui returned to Streetlevel and soon discovered an amazing community of people. Now a volunteer and part-time employee looking after welfare and administration at Streetlevel, Jacqui says: “Very soon I didn’t want to leave. I ended up going to chapel regularly and then becoming an adherent at Streetlevel.”

Jacqui has faced many challenges in her life. She married young, had her first son at 21 and by the age of 28 had four children.

What started as an escape from tiredness, depression and a struggling marriage, eventually became a gambling obsession.

In and out of hospitals and rehab, Jacqui would have stages when she was a hands-on loving mum and good employee. However, after her marriage broke down, she finally got so bad that she lost her job, her kids and her home to gambling and she became suicidal.

At that stage, she says: “I had nothing, just a black hole.”

Finally realising the enormity of the pain she was causing her family – especially her children – Jacqui undertook residential rehab at Moonyah, which she says was incredibly “holistic”.

At first she fought and argued against the Christian message at the heart of Moonyah, and says: “I grew up in Catholicism and truly believed for a long time that I was rotten to the core, after the things I’d done during my addiction.”

Slowly, as she asked many questions, spoke regularly with her case manager, attended an Alpha Course and started attending The Salvos’ God’s Sports Arena church and hearing testimonies of transformation, her views began to change.

One particularly terrible day, Jacqui says out of nowhere came an incredible feeling that God was saying he “had her back” and it was all going to be OK. “I still get emotional when I think about it,” she says.

After leaving Moonyah, Jacqui completed a dual diploma in Business and Justice. She has her children back in her life and is incredibly grateful they have forgiven her and is also incredibly proud of the wonderful and respectful young adults they have become.

She has also found a deep sense of purpose and acceptance at Streetlevel. She says: “The community at Streetlevel didn’t know me from a bar of soap, and many of these people have had the most horrendous lives and struggle on a minute-by-minute basis; yet within days they welcomed me, loved me and treated me like a friend.

“It does get messy at times with mental health issues and homelessness – that’s the reality; but the staff and volunteers just keep on serving with such real love. For me, Streetlevel is a really, really Christ-like place!”