Don't let poverty leave kids hungry and homeless this Christmas

When James’ wife Cristina* died, his world crumbled. Drowning in debt and struggling with being a single father, he quit his trucking job to care for Olivia. “Everything I knew about being a man went up in smoke,” James recalls.

Facing homelessness, James swallowed his pride and sought help at one of our Barnardos Children’s Family Centres. “You didn’t see a failure. You saw a father,” he wrote. Barnardos provided crucial support – from CV help and rent negotiation to parenting courses and counselling.

James learned to redefine fatherhood: “I learned to talk to Olivia, to be there in ways my father never was.” Today, their bond is stronger than ever. While challenges remain, James faces them with newfound confidence.