Support Group Stability

Have you ever wondered why there are so few stories from our Support Groups compared to the Crisis Centres, Soup Kitchen and Youth Work?

The answer is simple: there's an absence of crisis - a testament that these groups do achieve exactly what they were set up for!

The families are a long-term commitment. It's unusual for a family to join or leave more than once a year and their lives are far more stable than they once were. While they do still find life difficult and often struggle financially, they no longer live in constant crisis, so there are naturally fewer dramatic updates to share.

Through years of practical, emotional and financial support, lasting stability has been achieved most of the time. The groups still meet every few weeks, and both leaders are available daily. The monthly bursaries we provide help keep these mums out of deep poverty and, in several cases, prevented their children from becoming another 'social orphan' statistic.

Our other projects are naturally more dynamic. The Women's Crisis Centre regularly welcomes new women, the Soup Kitchen is the first point of contact for people in desperate need - some of whom go on to the Men's Crisis Centre - and the Open Hearts Youth Group continually welcomes new children.

But our Support Groups tell a different story. They are less about rescue and more about long-term prevention. Their success is seen in orphan mums continuing to raise their children, and families that are coping despite limited incomes - and children remaining safely out of institutions.

Their stories may not always make the headlines, but Support Groups are making a difference in lasting ways that really matter.