Being a single mum, I am well aware of living life on a budget, so when I found out my car needed unaffordable repairs, I faced the unimaginable difficulties of having no transport for me and my toddler. It was nothing short of a miracle that, only weeks later, we were given a refurbished car from Maleny Church on the Rise.
I became a single mum from just 10 weeks pregnant.
It has been two and a half years now since I escaped from a physically and psychologically abusive relationship, to find safety for myself and my unborn baby. With only my car, two cats and a suitcase full of clothes, I travelled to the Sunshine Coast to continue my pregnancy and raise my daughter alone.
Becoming a first-time mum alone was scary, especially as all of my family were in the UK, and I didn’t know anyone initially when I arrived on the Sunshine Coast. I had no idea what to expect, all I knew was I needed to find a safe place to raise my daughter and surround myself with a supportive community. I first arrived at the Lilly Ponds Caravan Park in Mapleton. I made friends straight away with some beautiful residents, who later helped me to find accommodation in Maleny. My heart had been set on living in Maleny from the moment I arrived on the coast, so when I had the opportunity to move there, just after my daughter’s first birthday, I jumped at the chance. I was absolutely over the moon to live in such a beautiful and welcoming town. I have never felt more at home than I do in Maleny and, when things got especially tough, I was again reminded why this place is so special.
A few months ago, my daughter and I were travelling down to the coast when my car broke down. I managed to drive into the nearest garage where I found out that my trusty get-away vehicle was in desperate need of major repairs, which would amount to more than I had paid for the car itself. I was devastated. I had no choice but to sell the car and succumb to the challenges of rural living without transport. Although we were fortunate to have supportive friends who offered their help to get us around, it was very difficult to navigate living, shopping, and daycare without a method of transport. I also run a small business stocking my poetry to shops around the Sunshine Coast and, without a car, work became exceptionally challenging.
About a month after I had sold my car, I was told by my daughter’s daycare leader that Church on the Rise in Maleny was looking for a single mum to support, by offering them a car. I was amazed, yet in somewhat disbelief, as seeing how much I needed a car, it seemed almost too good to be true that I would just be handed one. The daycare coordinator passed my details on to a member of the church and, only a few days later, I was contacted by Pastor Rod Jobe to discuss the car. I had previously found out that another single mum had donated this car to the church as, just like my car, it needed expensive repairs. Rod explained to me over the phone that a total of thirty people from the church had each donated $100 to fix the car, so it could find a single mum to support. I was so surprised to find that so many people had come together so selflessly to support someone they had never met, someone in the community like me. That day, Rod and I met at Coral Street Automotive to check out the car in all its glory. Russel and Leah, the workshop owners, had taken exceptional care of the car, going to great lengths to fix every broken part to restore it to full working order.
It wasn’t until the following Sunday, when I was handed the car keys in a beautiful service at Church on the Rise, that I realised that this was real. That I didn’t have to do anything but just be me. That I was being given a car and transport for my daughter and me to get around, all at the hands of the unconditional love and support of a community. I feel so blessed.
My daughter and I would like to thank Pastor Rod and all the members of Church for their kindness and unconditional love. After such an overwhelming journey to get here, it is so humbling to know that when we are down, we can count on the support of community to help us to rise.
