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December 2025
"What is Christmas? It is the tenderness for the past,
courage for the present and hope for the future."
Agnes M Pahro
Thank you for supporting the work of De Paul House. Your donations, bequests, business sponsorships, fundraising, volunteer hours and
donated goods allow us to provide quality services to lift families and senior adults up from despair to hope.
2025 has been our busiest year ever. Our 55 homes will be full over Christmas. We have taken, over 945 calls for help in 2025. There are 600
individuals on our Christmas appeal list, who will receive Christmas gifts and food support.
We share two stories that highlight how De Paul House brings lasting change through walking alongside people until they have secured stable housing.
A safe, stable home is the foundation for change
Melissa* arrived at our reception on a rainy Tuesday in January. "My car was filled to the brim with my two kids and the little we owned that my cousin couldn’t store in her lounge, where we had been living. From the get-go you offered support, empathy, kindness and displayed a comforting efficiency that immediately put me at ease. I cried, overwhelmed with hope but in my heart, I was sure I would get the call to say I wasn’t accepted for your housing!
When we met at the apartment we were all stunned at how bright, clean, spacious and safe it was. It took over a week for me to completely understand that this truly was our home! This home was our safe haven, and we could look to the future. My kids have accomplished so much this year, and it is all because of De Paul House. They have excelled at school and I have found a part time job."
After 8 months at De Paul House, Melissa was offered a home close to the children’s schools. *Not her real name.
"Getting that call to say we were accepted into housing literally changed the trajectory of our lives. It gave me hope, it dispelled the heavy cloud of guilt and shame, it allowed me to back myself and reinforced that I 100% made the right choice for my babies. To everyone in the team I interacted with and those behind the scenes, a sincere, wholehearted thank you.”
A home: Moving from hopelessness to joy
Steve* a senior citizen arrived unwell and stressed after suddenly finding himself homeless after the death of his wife. He was
sleeping in his car. We were quickly able to house him in a unit. Once he realised he was safe and the social worker reassured him that
he would eventually be rehoused, Steve relaxed and participated in the learning centre programme.
After living with us for just month, he was called to the office to be advised that a permanent apartment was available in a social
housing complex. Steve's smile just got wider, as staff came out of their offices to congratulate him. Steve was overjoyed and
overwhelmed that we would help him furnish the apartment and provide bedding and kitchenware.
*Not his real name.
