I know two women who both came home to find the bailiffs at their front doors!
One was married to a husband who was struggling so she was used to living hand to mouth but she was not prepared for the shock and embarrassment of finding herself on the streets with two small girls and nothing to her name.
The other was almost worse as she living a comfortable middle class existence and looking forward to a well-earned and financially secure retirement. Her husband’s business had gone broke and with it, her home, her savings and even her pension fund….everything!
And neither knew anything about what was about to come crashing down on their lives. They were simply not prepared for what was to follow.
When you suddenly end up with absolutely nothing and have to start all over again, it is hard. No income, no references, no job, no hope. Even the stuff you thought you owned, that was yours and no one else’s, even that may be lost because bailiffs can be ruthless! If you cannot prove it’s yours and not part of the bankrupt estate, it’s gone!. That washing machine that your mother gave you before you were married, that TV that you saved your family benefits up for over several months, the modest amount of jewellery that you managed to accumulate of years and years, even the children’s toys. All gone! Often, the only thing you get to keep is your wedding ring…and why would you want that after what you have just gone through!
Aid agencies exist to help you into new homes but all this takes time. Centrelink will help to provide urgently needed cash but, again, it takes time. But at least there is some help and places where you can get a meal.
BeefBank can make a difference to the lives of these people. By providing meat protein, usually beef, to the agencies that assist the homeless, the poor and the needy in Queensland, we help to provide and supplement a sustainable and valuable diet to those whose circumstances, often through no fault of their own, would otherwise have denied them this basic necessity.
BeefBank is proudly run by the Rotary Club of Brisbane Centenary. 100% of all donations going to the purchase and production of meals for the homeless and those in need. We work through Foodbank Qld to ensure the charities and non-profits on the front line of tackling this issue get the support they need. For more information visit us at www.beefbank.org or follow us on Facebook to see how we have helped provide over 300,000 meals to those most in need.