How emergency relief is supporting Lisa’s family through crisis

November 26, 2025

When Lisa reached out for help, she was holding together the fragile pieces of a family in crisis. Eight weeks earlier, her 18 year old daughter had experienced a traumatic assault, and the emotional and financial strain had taken a toll on everyone at home.

Lisa’s business, once her anchor, was struggling. With no income from her work and her husband’s earnings barely covering rent, the family was stretched beyond its emotional and financial limits. Their son, 16, was showing signs of a possible cognitive or intellectual disability but without the resources to pursue a diagnosis, his needs remained unmet and misunderstood.

With so much going on, Lisa was referred to CatholicCare’s Emergency Relief program for basic food support. It was a practical request to help ease daily pressures and give her a little breathing room to focus on her children.

“We provided Lisa and her family with emergency relief twice now, once in October and most recently in June,” explains Support Worker Margaret. “She is caring full-time and trying to pay $1400 a week for their private rental, which is extremely tough when you’re relying on Centrelink. Her husband is a contractor and has had no work since December. The family have been struggling to meet their basic needs like food, clothing and school fees.”

“We had extra funding for the area which came from the Ku-ring-gai council,” says Margaret. “This meant that we were able to support Lisa with more than we normally would.”

When Coles vouchers arrived, Lisa was over the moon. “I can’t thank you enough,” Lisa wrote. “I’m taking my daughter now to do a shop. She is excited – as am I – because we can buy some special food items we normally can’t afford. Thank you! And even better she is leaving the house!”

For a young woman who hadn’t stepped outside in weeks, that trip to the supermarket was more than a grocery run. It was an encouraging sign of progress with the right support in place.

Since their initial connection with CatholicCare in October, Lisa and her husband have started attending our free financial counselling – an important step in helping them manage their debts and plan for a more secure future.

The family continues to face challenges, but with urgent needs addressed and longer-term financial planning underway, they are beginning to see a path toward greater stability. 

Please note: Due to recent changes in Federal Government funding, we are saddened to announce that CatholicCare will no longer be delivering Emergency Relief (ER) services across Northern Sydney and the Central Coast. Although CatholicCare will cease delivering this service, the Federal Government continues to fund the emergency relief program across Australia. This means support is still available in your area through other providers. Below you’ll find a list of alternative services where you can access emergency food and financial assistance. For more information please click here.