Taking care of Christmas
Rosemary (left) is a Salvation Army welfare worker at the Nambour corps. (Photo by Shairon Paterson)
“It’s so wonderful to be able to say to our clients, ‘you just concentrate on keeping your bills paid and we’ll organise Christmas’,” says Rosemary.
A proud woman sitting across the table from Salvation Army community welfare worker Rosemary Campbell, wept when Rosemary told her that there was a beautiful Christmas ready for her.
Nambour Salvos are blessed with enormous support from the local community, which Rosemary is sure is “the most generous community ever”. The Sunshine Coast Daily newspaper encourages locals to ‘adopt a family’ at Christmas, while Aussie World opens its doors free every year to Salvation Army clients and those in need at Christmas. Rosemary says Nambour Salvos can tell more than 100 of their most struggling clients that Christmas is taken care of.
Although she is passionate about supporting those most in need throughout the year, organising a special Christmas for clients is her favourite part of her role.
This is even more special for Rosemary, because she received Christmas support herself for many years when her marriage broke up and she was left struggling to raise four children. Rosemary now has eight grandchildren and says her family is strong and healthy.
In those early days, Rosemary remembers it was quite a struggle.
“My youngest one used to go to school with holes in his shoes and all my furniture came from the second-hand shop. You struggle and go from one pay to another and you sort of think ‘where am I going to get the money to pay this bill?’ And it just slowly stresses you out until you just can’t think properly,” she says.
Rosemary did not approach the Salvos for help in her struggles, but rather came in contact through the children’s program SAGALA. She then volunteered in a number of roles including Salvos Care Line, and later as a community welfare volunteer. Today she is employed for 18 hours a week, but works many more as a volunteer.
However, for a time when her children were young, Salvation Army staff and volunteers insisted that she also accept some help at Christmas time.
“The Salvation Army stood beside me and helped us for quite a few Christmases while the kids were growing up. I ended up getting a hamper at Christmas time while I was getting help with toys, gifts and that, for my children. I’d get help with food to go on the table,” Rosemary says.
“You try and make Christmas as happy as possible but you still have that feeling inside that you’re not giving your kids what you’d love to be able to give them and make Christmas that really special day.
“And you worry and stress you’re not going to be able to put the food on the table to make it a nice Christmas. And hearing your kids come home saying what other kids have been given, you feel disappointed – a little bit heartbroken.
In those dark times, Rosemary says knowing that someone cares makes “Christmas a very special time.” That care, she says, is “overwhelming”, and something she now lavishes on her own clients, especially at Christmas.
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