For many of us, Christmas is a time for celebrating with family and friends, sharing a meal and seeing the joy on our children’s faces as they open their gifts. But for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our community, it can be a time of stress, anxiety, disappointment or loneliness.
Thanks to the generous support of Synergy, who have nominated Ruah as their charity partner for the Synergy Xmas Lights Trail this year, we’ll be able to light up some lives this Christmas and beyond, providing support and services to people experiencing homelessness, escaping the trauma of family and domestic violence or overcoming mental health challenges.
The Synergy Xmas Lights Trail is synonymous with the festive season in Perth and a must see on many of our annual calendars. This year, Perth residents who decorate their homes are invited to support Ruah and the work we do, by nominating us as the charity on their profile page and collecting donations from visitors who come to enjoy their lights.
These donations, along with a generous $20,000 donation direct from Synergy, will be an invaluable boost to our annual Christmas appeal.
Our Ruah Tree of Light, powered by Synergy Christmas appeal helps us to light up the life of the people we support in our community all year round.
Donors to the appeal help make it possible for us to:
- light up the life of someone in desperate need – who may be sleeping rough and doesn’t have a place to call home
- light up the face of a child who has left everything behind
- light up the day of someone struggling with a mental health challenge
- lighten the load of a women escaping domestic violence
Ruah CEO Debra Zanella said “For many people Christmas is not a time of joy and indulgence, but a time of loneliness and isolation. It is a time when lack of connection to family and friends is highlighted, there can be emotional and financial pressure on families, and we always see a spike in demand for our crisis and refuge services.
We are incredibly grateful for Synergy’s support this Christmas which will help raise awareness in the community about the many vulnerable and disadvantaged people who face challenges related to homelessness, family and domestic violence or mental health issues. The community’s donations will help us to continue our work providing wrap-around support to our State’s most vulnerable people, not just throughout the challenging holiday period, but all year round.”