Issac* sends an email to his financial counsellor Vanessa reflecting on his journey from being a single, separated parent on casual wages to a thriving father of a little girl, with a career, free of debt and a home owner; and thanks her for the part she had to play.   Hello Vanessa (from Anglicare Australia),  " I'm not sure if you'll remember me, but my name is Issac*, I came in for some financial help a few years ago, once before I separated from my fian...

With two children, a small baby and $12,000 in escalating credit card debt, *Lien was extremely tired and “very, very stressed” when she was referred to a financial counsellor after multiple visits to emergency relief services for food assistance. Lien, a single mother, had managed to make ends meet by working as a casual cleaner and using her credit card, which she managed to pay off through careful budgeting. However, doing so gave her a good credit rating and an attractive cu...

"As a young single parent, I struggled financially and did not know of any services to help me out of that situation. I had around five items through Radio Rentals, all necessities including items I had to replace that were stolen, which kept me in poverty. I did love my Radio Rentals Gold Card- if only I knew what that really was." "I had always assisted my friends after recovering financially with budgeting. My attitude is if my experience can help one person than it is wort...

As a successful travel agent who took tours of people to Paris, Debbie* never thought she'd find herself out of work and having to sell her house in order to get out of debt. With a well-paying job, Debbie had enough money to pay her mortgage and bills while still having enough left over to occasionally travel and go out for nice dinners. However, serious mental health issues, which had seen her hospitalised several times, caused her to step away from a career she loved and on a reduced ...