Josephine’s* teenage niece turned up on her doorstep one day following incidents of family violence in the extended family. Her niece had nowhere else to go and needed a safe place to stay.

Josephine knew first-hand what that felt like, so she didn’t hesitate. Even though the house was already full and the budget thin, she welcomed her niece in.

Josephine is a solo mum to two kids, already struggling to cover the power bills, lunches, petrol and whatever unexpected costs pop up next. There were no spare beds and no spare rooms.

Her niece slept on the couch and some nights Josephine’s own kids swapped places so their cousin could have a proper sleep in a real bed. Everyone was adjusting and making it work – but Josephine could see that her niece needed some space to heal and breathe without feeling like a burden.

She tried finding support to help cover the cost of a bed, but she was told she didn’t qualify. A bed shouldn’t feel like an impossible expense, but it was. That’s when she contacted Good Shepherd.

We could see that the health and wellbeing of a teenager in a vulnerable situation was at stake. Good Shepherd approved a $300 emergency grant so Josephine could buy a bed. Now her niece has one little piece of space to sleep, think, rest and reset. The house feels calmer. Everyone sleeps.

Sometimes, even a small thing can make a huge difference in the lives of a whole family.

*name has been changed