Finding joy in dark times: Maya's Christmas story
12 September 2024
When Maya* and her extended family had everything stolen – even the food they had bought for Christmas – days before Christmas, they were shocked and heartbroken. A fiercely proud family who had always given to others, they contacted The Salvation Army reluctantly, but also in desperation. Through the experience, Maya discovered a gift of joy in a dark and painful time.
It had been an exhausting interstate move for Maya and her extended family. It was almost Christmas, and despite the big move, they felt reasonably organised. Maya’s younger siblings were super excited about the Christmas gifts sitting wrapped under the Christmas tree.
Having moved into a large intergenerational house, the family of 10 had gone out for the day and returned together in the evening. When they walked in the door, they discovered their furniture, every family Christmas gift, all their food for Christmas, and even the Christmas tree had been stolen. To this day, Maya still thinks it was the previous tenants who had kept a copy of the keys.
“Even ... years on, I still cry when I think about it,” says Maya (who today is a Salvation Army volunteer, a mum, and a part-time foster mum).
“We had just moved everything into the house, and I was pregnant with my first child. They took literally everything that we owned, even our TVs – all just gone. It looked like no one even lived there.
“We had actually just moved interstate for my dad to help on a social justice project to work with migrants like us who were being robbed of their wages, and now we were the ones who had nothing,” Maya says.
“I just don't know how to explain it; it was like a feeling of dread. My siblings were crying, my dad was really mad, and my grandma actually fainted.”
Losing everything days before Christmas
The police were unable to find evidence and the landlord was unwilling to compensate, so a friend suggested the distraught family call the local Salvation Army.
“It was two days before Christmas and not having anything, the anxiety that we had as a family was just really high. We are a big family and had already bought the meat, veggies, you name it, as well as the presents. All that was left in the drawers were a few cans of baked beans and small stuff,” Maya says.
The local Salvation Army corps (church) had already finished giving out all the ‘Christmas Cheer’ gifts and food for the year and was about to close and store leftover gifts for future needs, but something told the corps officer (leader) Josie* to stay open a little later that last day. That’s when the family contacted The Salvation Army.
Maya says: “As a family, we had always donated gifts for things like a toy drive at Christmas. We had never asked for help before. It was humbling. They sorted out vouchers for food – and food hampers to last over the Christmas period.
“They also came out with bags full of gifts.”
If you're facing a tough time this Christmas and would like some support to find joy and hope, contact your local Salvos and see how we can help.
Maya says the experience helped her realise just how much a helping hand means in dark times and she became a volunteer with The Salvation Army to share hope with others.
Sadly, in recent times, Maya also had to ask for help for herself once again. Having recently become a single mum — she is now struggling with the spiralling cost-of-living pressures herself.
“Prices have gone up so much and food runs out so quickly. What I used to spend on a fortnightly shop doesn’t even last us a week. I can't save anything because all my money goes to other bills.
“Doing it all on my own is hard and I have really bad mental health problems – anxiety and depression. I see a Salvation Army case worker once a week and people check in on me, which is amazing. My case worker listens and we kind of compare stories because we both come from the same background,” Maya smiles.
Like a caring family
Maya says support through The Salvation Army helps in the struggles she and her family face.
“I know how hard it is for many people. My parents migrated to Australia and worked their butts off to support us kids, and they still helped other people ... I would always donate my money, donate my time.
“I'm not used to receiving help – it's a foreign feeling. I really love being involved with The Salvation Army. Helping [others] takes my mind off worrying. I kind of feel like it's a big family that just helps one another. It’s good!”
*This is a true story with names and some details changed for family privacy