Will you choose to help Barnardo's make life more bearable for Mary and her two young children?
I'd like you to imagine yourself sitting in a draughty bedsit on a cold winter's morning. In the next room you have two hungry young children to feed, clothe and love.
After putting money away for electricity, gas, rent and all the other weekly bills, you find yourself with just £15 left over from your income support.
You are hungry, very hungry - but so are your children.
What do you do?
Do you go down to the shops and buy yourself some food? Or do you go without so the kids can have a square meal? This was the heart-wrenching choice facing Mary, a single mum from Bristol, last year.
Mary decided, quite understandably, that her two small children, six year old Lee and Kirsty aged three, needed food more than she did. What else could a loving mother posssibly do?
Sadly, due to her poor diet, Mary became ill and developed anaemia. And that wasn't the end of her problems. Mary was getting deeper and deeper into debt; postponing one payment to pay off another. Life became one vicious circle.
With an outstanding electricity bill of £180, Mary pleaded with her electricity company to allow her to pay off £10 a week. They insisted on £17 - £2 more than she spends on food.
Mary was desperate - fortunately she turned to Barnardo's for help
Luckily, Mary paid a visit to her local Barnardo's Family Centre in Bristol. It was to become her lifeline. The staff immediately set about helping Mary draw up a budget and began to negotiate with the electricity company for a better deal. They guided her through the maze of Social Security benefit forms. And when Lee and Kirsty saw the centre's day nursery they could hardly believe their eyes. Toys!
Barnardo's - bringing optimism to hopeless lives
Poverty is something we all fear. Sadly, for Mary and so many people like her with children, it is a daily reality. Roast dinners, the occasional fry-up, cakes, sweets...they are all just a memory. This family has to make do with cheap foods like beans on toast.
At Barnardo's, we genuinely believe every child has the right to a chance in life. And our first responsibility is to those children and young people who desperately need our help to make their way in the world.
Invaluable practical support for those who need it the most
Barnardo's Family Centres offer a variety of valuable day care facilities such as day fostering, playgroups, toy libraries, family counselling and more. To many struggling families they are quite truthfully a godsend.
Disability is also an area where Barnardo's can make a real difference. By providing respite care for families caring for children with special needs, parents can enjoy a much needed break from their responsibilities. And that gives them the opportunity to recharge their batteries.
But that's not all. We firmly believe in helping children with disabilities to help themselves. For example, Barnardo's Barrow Green Adventure Holiday in the beautiful Lake District gives the children a real sense of achievement.
Here the children (regardless of their disability) learn things like handling a boat, mastering the adventure playground, bird spotting, rock climbing or, perhaps more importantly, making friends and gaining confidence.
Now you can help make the world a better place for people like Mary and her children
I'm not just writing to you to tell you about all the marvellous things Barnardo's are doing for needy children. I'm asking: "Please will you help?"
In order to continue our vital work, we rely on a team of devoted professional carers who help children overcome their fear, pain and neglect. To enable us to carry out this work we need the support of people who care. People like you.
Please send a donation today - it'll make such a difference
By kindly giving to Barnardo's you are showing you care about what is going on in society today. Any amount, no matter how large or small, will enable us to continue giving hope to those children who so desperately need it.
With heartfelt thanks.
Desmond Scott, Head of Direct Donor Appeals
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