52 Lives

#478 Colette

Request: Donations / Gifts / Kind Messages

This week, we’d like to help a brave woman called Colette and her children.

Colette spent time in care growing up and had her first baby when she was just 14. She was abused and has been through a lot of trauma.

Today, Colette is caring for three children - aged 14, 10 and 5 - on her own. After her youngest was born, Colette had post-natal depression while trapped in an abusive relationship. Colette and her children moved to a new area and are now safe. But the isolation has felt overwhelming for her. She has a chronic health condition so spends a lot of time at home and her social worker is concerned about her wellbeing.

“I think it would really help to improve Colette’s life if her home conditions were better, and this would have a positive impact on the children. She works hard and she has such a clear focus on her children and how much she wants them to do well.”

Colette’s social worker said: “she often feels that the world is against her.”  We’d like to show her that it’s not. With your help, we’d love to brighten their home, provide some furniture and homewares, carpet the children's bedrooms, pay for some activities/clubs for the children, and surround them with messages of kindness and support.

*Name has been changed

What We Need

1. Donations: We will use your donations to provide the things they need. You can donate online or by text using the details below.

2. Gifts from a wishlist: We've set up a wishlist with gifts for the family. To buy something from the list, just add it to your basket and choose the 'gift registry address' when you check out. It will be sent directly to the family.

3. Kind Messages: To send a kind message to the family, just write a message in the form below (your contact details won't be passed on), or you can post a message to: 52 Lives, Life # 478, PO Box 3154, Reading, RG1 9AT.

Donate

Buy a Gift

What We Did

We raised over £1500 in donations and goods to help them - and we topped this up with some of our direct debit donations. It meant we were able to have carpet fitted in the bedrooms, we bought wardrobes and mattresses, and supplied lots of other things for their home. Colette still struggles with her health, so we were also able to help build the furniture for her.

Colette said before 52 Lives came into her life, she felt like a failure. She was also initially scared of receiving our help, for fear of being judged. She said her home was depressing and lifeless and the children's bedroom looked unloved. Now, thanks to the kindness this community has shown her, she feels hopeful. Her social worker said: “For some people it might be a small gesture, but for her family, it is the start of things getting better."