Circles of care
Robert Chalmers now lives in England after The Salvation Army helped him through one of the toughest periods of his life. (Photo supplied by Robert Chalmers)
“I didn't expect the Lord to appear in a cloud of smoke to help me out, but I’m certain He worked His grace through Chris, says Robert about Moneycare financial counsellor Chris Reese.
“I dread to think what would have happened to me if Chris had not stepped in,” he says.
While there have been some twists and turns, Robert knows his life has been very fortunate. He joined the Navy in his teens and he says: “I have been places and seen things that most only dream about. I studied then worked in China for years, married and have a wonderful family.”
However, he says that when he lost his wife to cancer in 2002: “Somehow I became derailed and things just went downhill, like the movie interpretation of a slow motion train crash”.
As a carer for his sick wife for many years Robert had to give up permanent work, and after she passed away, he was only able to find casual work.
By then in his mid 50s and hoping to secure future income, he took out a mortgage to develop a piece of land he owned – a decision he now describes as “very silly”.
With a run of challenging circumstances, including sporadic work, in the years that followed, the mortgage became unmanageable.
Finally, after a push from a family friend, Robert visited Toowoomba (Qld) Salvation Army Moneycare free financial counseling service, found financial counsellor Chris Reese and began lengthy communications with the banks.
He had to hand the keys to his family home to the bank, but with Chris’ advocacy, he did not have to pay the outstanding balance after the house and land were sold. Robert was also forgiven significant credit card debt.
Chris says Robert’s situation is all too common, and explains: “I constantly have older people and aged pensioners coming in. Banks have put them into agreements that they simply can’t manage. They are often struggling after one partner passes away, or one gets sick.”
Now living in England and tracing his family history, Robert recalls: “My children tried hard to brighten things up for me, but it was a daunting task with financial woes heaped on top of increasing loneliness.
“I had no job, no money and no prospects. My age, and where I lived made it impossible for me to find work. It was about as bad as it could get.”
“It took some months for me to realise that Chris had taken the full load from my shoulders, and unbelievably I faced a brighter future”.
“Now,” Robert says, “the wheel of my life has come full circle,” and he is living in England after a friend helped him resettle.
“My mother's family was helped by the Salvation Army in 1925 to emigrate to Australia,” he explains.
Roberts says he knows there are many people who have faced far worse circumstances than he has, and hopes to now help others as he can.
He says: “It still feels so weak to only be able to say ‘thank you’.
“When an invitation to support the Salvation Army came through the letter box a while back, it felt like I finally had a chance to say 'thank you' in a truly meaningful way. I wasn't able to help much on the scale of things, but I know every bit helps.”
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