Heart for lonely becomes Christmas tradition
(Photo by Shairon Paterson)
The Salvation Army's presence in the Sydney north-west suburb of Macquarie Park has been life-changing for Anne and many in her community.
When Anne and her husband moved to Macquarie Park in the late 1980s, it was not considered an ideal community to raise their three children. Social problems such as vandalism, graffiti, theft and drugs kept police busy. A less obvious, but growing problem, was social isolation.
But Anne also saw hope.
“The Salvation Army would come around to the community, bringing bread for residents and taking young people to youth group, to help to get them off the streets,” she says.
Anne had always wanted to find out more, but her husband didn’t want to get involved and their marriage began to suffer.
When their third child was just seven weeks old, Anne's husband left. One of the first places Anne turned to was The Salvation Army. “I remember ringing and saying ‘my husband left me two days ago, but can I please come to your church picnic?’”
Anne began attending Salvation Army church services and her children quickly became involved in various activities. Life, for the meantime, seemed to be heading down a positive, hopeful road. However, as each Christmas loomed, Anne began struggling with feelings of loneliness.
“Every other time of the year you can cope. But at Christmas there is just something about being alone with kids that makes you feel more alone,” she says.
One Christmas, when Anne only had one of her children for the day, she jumped on a bus and headed to the city, hoping that would make her feel less lonely. That trip was a turning point.
She suddenly realised she wasn't alone in her feelings. There were many people in society who were also lonely at Christmas. Then an idea hit her – maybe she could do something, even if just in her community, to meet this need.
Anne decided to host a Christmas Eve dinner at her house. “It came from knowing what it was like to be alone, and thinking that there must be other people out there who must feel the same. So I thought, let's do something about it,” she says.
The first year, she had eight people at her house for Christmas Eve dinner. Over the past 11 years the number has grown, and last year she lost count after 40 people had come through her front door. “Now, in a way, it’s become a tradition,” she says.
Anne spends all year paying off a Chrisco hamper to be able to provide for her guests. All that she asks is that they bring a bottle of soft drink or juice along on the day.
Throughout her life, Anne has faced many emotional battles – including her marriage breakdown and various health issues with her children – which she fears contributed to a loss of empathy.
“I think there was a hardness inside of me, and one thing that came back through my journey with The Salvation Army was I learned to love again,” she says. “I remember being told one day you’ll be helping others. I wouldn’t have seen that in me. But they did.”
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