Your impact

Thank you

Last year wasn’t easy. The pandemic raged on and we continued to face uncertainty and disruption. For the most vulnerable in our community, it was particularly hard.

With your generous support, Berry Street continued to help many children, young people and families be safe, hopeful and thriving.

Together we:

Liam’s magical day

This Christmas we told the story of a little boy called Liam*.

Liam had spent his short life waking up on Christmas morning with a feeling of dread deep in his belly. Family violence escalates at that time of year and Christmas Day is an awful, awful day for kids like Liam who face family violence.

Liam was placed in temporary accommodation after experiencing so much violence and trauma in his short life. He needed a home where he could wake up feeling loved and special on Christmas Day – and every day.

Thanks to the generous support of people like you, Liam had a magical Christmas and is starting to thrive.

Liam’s Christmas was filled with hope and joy

Liam’s new foster parents sent us a message on Christmas morning full of joy and hope that we just to share.

They said:

“We’ve never seen a smile that big in all our lives! When Liam woke up this morning to see that Santa had visited, his face almost split in two with pure joy! His eyes were as big as saucers.

“At first, he just stood there looking at the presents and decorations, as though it was too good to believe.

But then I came up next to him and said gently, “Merry Christmas, Liam”, and finally his shoulders relaxed and his face broke into the biggest smile I’ve ever seen.

“I just wanted to thank all the wonderful people who made it possible for Liam to experience the joy of Christmas. As you know, he’s had some very dark and scary times at Christmas due to family violence.

“But today, finally, he’s having a magical Christmas with love and laughter. I feel sure that with the right support, he will recover from his trauma and truly thrive.”

Liam finally experienced the excitement of counting down to the big day in a safe home.

He felt the thrill of waking up to special presents under the tree – including beach gear and a brand-new puzzle.

He enjoyed the smell of special Christmas cooking for a festive feast which he enjoyed as the family gathered around a big table full of food, sharing, laughter and belonging.

And, best of all, Liam enjoyed a ‘family’ trip to the beach where he could play and have fun in his new swimmers, rash vest and sunglasses.

Liam is just one of the many children and young people who’ve started to thrive thanks to the generous help of all our supporters. Thank you!

* Name has been changed in the interest of privacy. The model pictured is not connected to the story.