Read this heartwarming story about a mum who experienced a huge act of kindness from an anonymous donor in Mascot.
Cathy* and her two young children have faced more challenges than most.
Life became tough when Cathy’s partner, the father of her children, passed away.
She then found herself in a domestic violence situation and made the trip interstate.
In south-east Sydney, she faced further obstacles.
She felt isolated in the new area, without stable accommodation.
She was soon referred to South Eastern Community Connect.
Support is on the way
She was then able to access the Family and Community Support Service through The SECC Community Hub in Mascot.
The team was able to assist her in overcoming barriers to accessing resources. She was able to receive support for herself and her two little ones.
But one of her biggest challenges was not having a car. It was particularly difficult at the height of the pandemic.
It was impossible to attend house inspections, medical appointments, counselling services, and COVID-19 tests when needed.
But that changed when Nicola from Clovelly Community Bank Branch shared a story of kindness on the bank’s Facebook page.
The power of social media
She spoke of a family, who donated the car of their ageing relative to one of the residents of the Northern Beaches Women’s Shelter.
She wrote: “Wouldn’t it be amazing if we were able to facilitate this kind of donation to a family in need in OUR community?”
And guess what?
A customer of the bank saw this post and decided that her family would like to make a difference to someone in this community by donating their family car which they were upgrading.
She contacted Nicola and asked her find a family in need to receive this generous donation of a family car.
Nicola got in touch with South Eastern Community Connect and that’s when the magic happened.
Our Family and Community Support Service was able to connect Cathy with the donor.
Hub Manager Michael Hawthorne and Clovelly Community Bank Branch Partnership Manager Nicola Powell receive the car, ready to give to the recipient. The boot is also filled with two boxes of toys donated by CaringKids.
A new set of wheels
This week, she received the much-needed car.
Cathy was speechless.
She couldn’t believe the timing.
And she’s so grateful for this beautiful act of kindness within her community.
All the best, Cathy – and a big thank you to our donor, who wishes to remain anonymous.
> If you’re keen to work with us to support people doing it tough in the local community, call The Hub on 02 7903 0607 or email them at hubadmin@secc.sydney
*Name changed to protect client.