Life before CAP was stressful. I was addicted to drugs, in an abusive marriage and in debt. I was living on food parcels, struggling to get anything – clothes, shoes, petrol for the car. After everything, I was left with about $40 a week – that was for food and petrol and dog food. I started to stress out because I didn’t know what to do. I started to cut back on paying my bills and wouldn’t pay this one this week and that one next week and everything was getting behind, although I always managed to keep my rent and my power afloat.
The biggest struggle for me before CAP was where food was coming from. I’d wake up tired, wondering where I was going to get food from for the next day. I was starting to use up all my resources of food parcels. I didn’t really know where I was going - each day I’d think about my credit card and the bills. Those days weren’t fun, they were very dark. Keeping up with school lunches was difficult. I started to really enjoy the school holidays because I knew I didn’t have to have a certain amount of food in the cupboards for the kids for school. I didn’t like taking the kids to the shops because as soon as I got anywhere near a shop they would ask me for things like icecream, and I always had to say no. It was horrible, really. It was yuck.
I’d just started a course and was talking to a lady there. I don’t know how the conversation came up - I was just spilling the beans about how poor I was and how I struggled for food and she quickly gave me a pamphlet:“Here you go, ring CAP up.” So I took the pamphlet home and read it and then I rang.
After the first visit with CAP I felt really good. It was like I was dancing on air. It felt great to get all my bills together and give them to CAP. I knew that within a week I would get a plan back and it just felt great to know that people care, that there are people who want to help you out of debt. To them it didn’t matter how I got into debt or what sort of lifestyle or background I’d come from, or whether I was a Christian or not. They were just caring enough to help me get out of debt.
Before I had my first meeting with CAP I was invited to church to a Wednesday night CAP Client meal. It was like a big family. My kids fitted in like they were that missing jigsaw puzzle piece. It felt like a big weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Now, we come here regularly on Wednesday nights for a CAP dinner and we have little Bible studies afterwards. The prayers, Bible studies and support have just made a huge difference. The boys love coming along, they’ve made friends here. I’ve made a lot of friendships here. We have a place, we feel accepted, everybody’s happy to see us and people are praying for us. It’s cool.
Before I came to CAP I didn’t know God, I just wanted to explore something different, but I now know that God brought me to Auckland for a reason and the reason being was to become a Christian, to change the way I lived, to break my addictions. I started going to church about a year ago and that was when I gave myself to the Lord. Having God in my life has brought a lot of peace.
CAP have lifted a huge burden off my shoulders and made me feel so much lighter and living. They have brought me peace of mind, and that’s huge. I trust CAP. I trust that my money’s being saved, that my bills are being paid and that things are getting done. They’ve given me freedom and choice. A choice of life, really. My life is so good now. I can take my kids and do things on the weekend, I’m managing to buy them clothes. It’s a lot happier. My family can see a big difference in me.
I have goals and I have dreams and I’m achieving them. I’m saving a little bit of money – not much, but to me that’s heaps. I’m working towards a career for me and my family so that we can have a better life. My goal is to be a counsellor for people with addictions and for battered women. I’ve started my Certificate in Social Services and when I’ve passed that I’ll go on to my Diploma in Counselling and Degree. Through CAP I’ve been able to get dreams and goals. I’m proud that I’ve got money put aside for rainy days and extra things that I need and that light at the end of the tunnel is there – I can see it now. It’s small at the moment, but it’ll get bigger.
I tell everybody about CAP – anybody that will listen I tell, because it’s just made such a big difference in my life and in my family’s. CAP has really lightened the load and it’s good to know that they care. They care about people’s debt and they’re there to help you get free and save.
