Winter Appeal Launch

The Samaritans Winter Appeal was officially launched on June, 1 by Samaritans President, Bishop Peter, Diocesan Chief Executive John Barriga, and Samaritans Community Services Manager Lauren Fisher.

Amazingly, they are still driven to succeed but they need support and stability to continue their education.

Bree’s story

Bree is one of these incredible young people.

Bree suffered a traumatic family breakdown. She didn’t feel safe and felt that she wasn’t welcome at her own home. With all her possessions in a bag, she started staying with friends at the age of 16.

Her friend’s parents helped her find a place to stay at Samaritans refuges, but Bree always had a goal to secure a safe home at Samaritans Student Accommodation. She described it as like “a mirage in the desert.”

Bree‘s dream became reality.

Now safely in the accommodation program, Bree got her HSC a year early and was accepted into the University of Newcastle to study Coastal and Marine Science, which she says she loves with all her heart.

Bree, now 18, is studying full time and working part-time. The Samaritans Student Accommodation has given her the security and stability she craved.

Bree believes she wouldn’t have been able to accomplish what she has without the service.

In fact, she says she may not be alive today if it wasn’t for the Samaritans.

Natalia’s story

Natalia has an unstable home life. She was in and out of refuges and foster care as a child, before she started living with friends as a teenager.

At 15 years of age, Natalia started staying at the Samaritans youth refuge at Maitland. She wanted a better and healthier life for herself and was driven to securing a more permanent place at Wickham.

She did that when she was in Year 10. Natalia was exceptionally self-motivated, catching a bus and a train to St Paul’s at Booragul each weekday to complete her high school education.

Natalia was a resident at Wickham for three years while she finished high school and started her Physiotherapy degree at the University of Newcastle.

She now lives in a private rental with her miniature dachshund Ziara. She is juggling her degree with parttime work.

Natalia is so grateful for the support of Samaritans she decided to run the Hunter Valley Marathon to raise money for the Student Accommodation Service that helped turn her life around.

Natalia hopes she is an example of what you can do with the right support and the drive to want better for yourself and your future family.

Natalia and Bree are just two of the many success stories arising from the Samaritans Student Accommodation Service. It’s the only service of its kind in the Newcastle region and does not receive any government funding. This support is only able to continue because of kind donations.

Are you able to assist us this winter with a donation? With this gift, we can continue to support young people who are facing homelessness. We will provide them with safe housing and a pathway to continue their studies.