How we’re helping Jenny find her way back from grief, illness and addiction

Sometimes in life, misfortunes pile up until you sink into despair. It’s at times like these that you need a loving and capable friend like The Salvation Army.

Two years ago, Jenny had everything she wanted – a husband and two lovely children. She sometimes felt depressed, but just thought it was something that happened to everyone. Then, Jenny’s mother unexpectedly died of a heart attack. The grief and shock made her depression much worse and she turned to cocaine to get through the bad days.

Realising that Jenny was out of control because of the drugs, her husband Paul took their children to live with his parents.

It was another terrible blow for Jenny. For days on end, she shut herself in her house, heartbroken, tearful, confused, unable to face the world. Wishing she could die.

With no food and no money to buy more, Jenny’s seclusion had to end. She had nothing but debts after borrowing to pay for the drugs, and her cupboards were bare. The only people she knew of, who helped people in desperate need, were The Salvation Army.

Jenny was deeply ashamed about her situation, but when Captain Elaine, the local Salvation Army officer, called round, she listened without judging.

Elaine organised food parcels and arranged for Jenny to talk to a money advice worker. Above all, she encouraged Jenny to think positively and to get back into contact with her husband and her beloved children. Now they’re planning to spend this Christmas together – and for Jenny it’s the shining light at the end of the tunnel. She says: ‘I thought I would never smile again, but now I know there’s always hope.’

Your gift this autumn could do great things for someone who is lonely, desperate, homeless or hungry. Please will you give £25, or whatever you can, to put us where we need to be?     

A gift of:

• £27 could provide three hours of support work for a homeless person in one of our centres.
• £65 could support one person for a week in a drug or alcohol rehabilitation service.
• £114 could meet the cost of an officer to run one of our community centres for three days to deliver much-needed community services.

Please make a donation to our Autumn appeal today using our simple, secure online donation form. Alternatively you can call us on 020 7367 4800 or email us at fr@salvationarmy.org.uk.