In a world where you can be anything, be kind

Today, Monique is a full-time Company Secretary and Administration Manager. She’s also a single mum to two boys, aged 9 and 12. She’s positive, grateful and incredibly resourceful. She shops smart – between Foodbank WA, Aldi and Woolies markdowns – and plans every meal with precision. She has a degree in economics and uses her skills to stretch every dollar.

But even with a full-time income, Monique is left with next to nothing after paying her mortgage (almost half her salary), school expenses, medication and bills. Her sons are both neurodivergent, and so is she. There’s no child support. No legal assistance. No Centrelink. Thanks to the final Family Violence Restraining Order, her family is now safe, but she can’t communicate with her ex directly which slows the pace considerably of her being able to sell their home or downsize.

She’s has a good income on paper, but her reality is very different.

Monique is a survivor of family and domestic violence. Her ex-husband used coercive control for years – isolating her, taking her money, monitoring her every move. When she finally fled, he destroyed their home and breached court orders. The judge called it one of the worst cases she’d seen.

She came out of that relationship with nothing. No credit history. No financial safety net. No support. Just the fear of not being able to feed her kids.

That’s when she found Foodbank WA.

“Through my RUAH caseworker, I was connected with a wonderful financial counsellor who told me that there was help available. He said, ‘Let’s look at this. You need to stay in your house. You can’t afford anything at all, but I can help with the Foodbank card.’ He asked me, ‘What’s your biggest fear?’ and I said, ‘Not being able to feed the kids. Not having enough milk for their Weetbix.’”

Now, Monique shops at our Perth Airport location. It’s close to her partner’s house, and it’s familiar – important for someone who is autistic. She’s built a system around her shopping, planning meals with what she finds at Foodbank WA.

“I love Foodbank. You get your perishable foods, semi-perishable foods, and free fruit and veg. That’s amazing. I’m a big advocate. You just have to think outside the box.”

Her youngest son recently said, “There are people out there that are so kind they organise facilities like this.” He’s nine. He gets it.

Monique teaches her boys about kindness. About resilience. About giving back. She’s honest with them about where they’re at. They know they’re doing it tough. But they also know they’re not alone.

“I don’t ask for help. It’s not easy for me. But it’s such a relief to know I can shop at Foodbank. Like a really big weight lifted off your chest. Knowing you have enough food to feed your family.”

Every time she visits, there’s something new. Eggs. Milk. Treats for the kids. She gets a little kick out of it. “Yay! I got eggs today!”

Monique’s story is one of courage, planning and love. She’s doing everything she can to keep her family safe, fed and together.

And she’s not alone. There are thousands of Western Australians just like Monique – working hard, doing their best, and still needing help.

Your donation helps us be there for them.

It helps us stock our shelves with essentials. It helps us run our Community Kitchen. It helps us keep our Mobile Foodbank on the road. It helps us say yes when someone like Monique walks through our doors.

If you can be anything, be kind.