Compassion for Christmas
"It is so wonderful to be able to say to our clients, you just concentrate on keeping your bills paid and we’ll organise Christmas." - Rosemary
The proud woman sitting across the table from Salvation Army community welfare worker Rosemary Campbell, wept as Rosemary told her that there was a beautiful Christmas available to her.
Blessed with enormous support from the local community in Nambour which Rosemary is sure is "the most generous community ever", plus the Sunshine Coast Daily newspaper which encourages locals to ‘Adopt a Family’ at Christmas and Aussie World which opens its doors free every year to Salvation Army clients and those in need at Christmas, Rosemary says the Nambour Salvos can tell well over 100 of their most struggling clients that Christmas "is taken care of".
Although she is passionate about supporting those most in need throughout the year, organising a special Christmas for clients is the favourite part of her role.
Made even more special, she says, because she was a recipient of Christmas support herself for many years after her marriage broke up and she was left struggling to raise four children. (Rosemary now had eight grandchildren and her family she says is strong and healthy.)
In the early days, Rosemary remembers: "It was quite a struggle. My youngest one used to go to school with holes in his shoes and all my furniture came from the second hand shop. You struggle and go from one pay to another and you sort of think ‘where am I going to get the money to pay this bill?’ And it just slowly stresses you out (until) you just can’t think properly."
Rosemary did not approach the Salvos for help in her struggles, but rather came in contact through she children’s program SAGALA. She then volunteered in a number of roles including Salvos Care Line, then as a community welfare volunteer (Today she is employed for 18 hours a week, but works many more as a volunteer).
However, for a time when her children were young, Salvation Army staff and volunteers insisted that she too accept some help at Christmas time.
She says:"…The Salvation Army stood beside me and helped us for quite a few Christmases while the kids were growing up. I ended up getting a hamper at Christmas time where I was getting help with toys, gifts and that, for my children. I’d get help with food to go on the table."
"You … try and make Christmas as happy as possible but you still have that feeling inside that you’re not giving your kids what you’d love to be able to give them and make Christmas that really special day. And you worry and stress you’re (not) going to be able to put the food on the table to make it a nice Christmas. And hearing your kids come home saying what other kids have been given, you feel disappointed -- a little bit heartbroken
Especially in those dark times, Rosemary says, knowing that someone cares makes "Christmas a very special time." That care, she says, "is overwhelming", and that care is something she now lavished on her own clients, especially at Christmas time.
