Jeff’s Journey - Our Foodbank and beyond. » Presbyterian Support Otago

What happens when someone reaches out to our Family Works services?

This is a story about Jeff* who lives south of Dunedin with his four children and has a part-time job in the city.

Before Christmas, Jeff phoned our Family Works Foodbank in Dunedin to ask about a Christmas parcel. His hours had been reduced at work after the lockdown, and he hadn’t been able to put anything aside for Christmas food or gifts. It was the first time he’d needed to ask for help, and that made him a bit nervous.

Our friendly Foodbank staff spoke to Jeff over the phone and were able to provide a Christmas hamper for Jeff’s family and some gifts for the children. Jeff mentioned that he’d been struggling with making ends meet and also that he was worried his younger son was very anxious and was getting into trouble at school.

We were able to offer Jeff an appointment with one of our Financial Mentors, who worked with him to create a plan for 2021, and also gave him information about Growing Taller. In this programme children aged six to eleven participate in fun activities, learn to change the way they see themselves and to identify, express and manage their emotions. He’s already seeing positive changes in his son.

Jeff also needed to buy a car to replace his old unreliable one, so that he could get to his job on time. So our Good Loan workers helped him apply for a low interest loan, which was successful! They also helped him obtain Drive Insurance which is a low-cost policy that covers a driver if they cause accidental damage to other cars or property. Jeff was really pleased to access this policy as he had a friend who had been left paying off an accident debt for years, because the friend had no property damage insurance.

You’ll see from Jeff’s story that reaching out to the Foodbank was just the start of his journey with us. Our Family Works team understands that everyone has a unique story, and provides help that is tailored to each individual.

Our Family Works services are located throughout Otago, please contact us for more information.

Family Works – walking beside you to help you reach your goals.

*names and some details have been changed to protect privacy.