Maria was nearly 40 weeks pregnant with her baby due any day. She was under stress caring for several children already while waiting for the birth of her third. She desperately needed a reliable car to ensure she could get to the hospital safely and for ongoing transport for her children.

On top of all that, she had been left with a $1,600 debt with a telecommunications company caused by a previous partner. She hadn’t been able to pay it, and it had been sent to a collection agency.

Maria needed a car for her family. But the reality was the coerced debt was preventing her from being able to get, or afford, a loan. With a baby nearly here and time of the essence, Good Shepherd worked quickly to find a solution. We determined that Maria was eligible for an immediate hardship relief grant to cover the coerced debt. That tipped the scales in her favour to afford a car loan. A $5,000 loan was issued immediately, helping her get a car before the baby arrived.

While the car loan was being sorted with the guarantee of a grant, the grant itself was held. This bought some time for our Family Violence team to work with the telco on Maria’s behalf and undo the unjust debt.

Eventually it was forgiven, making the car loan affordable without the need for the grant. Good Shepherd redistributed the funds back into the grants pool, making it available for the next person experiencing significant harm or hardship.

Our Family Violence Economic Harm team didn’t stop here. They also negotiated some assistance with Maria’s bank related to her overdraft, creating even more breathing room for her to care for her new baby and family.

*name has been changed