Kamara’s Story

Kamara was doing really well. Having recently qualified as a barber, she generously decided to give back to her community, offering ‘pay as you feel’ haircuts at the local YMCA young people’s centre. Her three wonderful children kept her busy, and she relished the unique opportunity as a barber to meet so many people. “You can’t judge a book by its cover!” she reflects, fond of getting to know the different characters who sat in her barber’s chair.  

Then, all of a sudden, the pandemic hit. Everything changed overnight. Kamara’s life looked very different and she felt the strain immediately. Having battled with anxiety and depression in the past, Kamara understandably felt torn by fear and worry as the world around her changed so rapidly.  

Whilst struggling with her own mental and emotional health, she also had to cope with all the responsibilities that come with being a mother. With her children now at home full-time, finances tightened day by day. Kamara had to spend more on gas and electricity due to being at home all the time, more on food and more on unexpected items like home-schooling resources for her children. With the pressures of life during the pandemic steadily mounting, it looked like her family might be pushed off course.  

“I thought to myself, how am I going to survive? I can’t keep doing this.” It was crucial that Kamara’s family got support before it was too late, before they reached breaking point.  

Luckily, Kamara wasn’t alone. The road of recovery may be a long one, but with support and love from her local community, it was one that Kamara and her family could journey down. TLG Box of Hope proved to be a lifeline.  

TLG Box of Hope meant Kamara and her family had regular contact with Julie and Neil, volunteers from her local church. She was provided with food to feed all the hungry mouths in her household and resources to keep the kids entertained.  

“Amazing fun and food from friendly people,” is the verdict from ten year old Tyler, one of Kamara’s children! 

“It was really nice to have Julie knock on the door each week and just have a bit of a chat. Plus, Neil’s online videos of prepping all the food have simply been fantastic for getting the kids involved!” 

The support received through TLG Box of Hope has had far reaching implications for Kamara too. “It’s made me realise that you don’t have to have a lot of money to make good, healthy food. The sausage casserole recipe in particular has gone down so well in our home, the kids absolutely love it and it only comes to about 50p/person!” 

“The TLG Box of Hope project was just amazing and Neil keeps in touch all the time. He tells us to contact him if we need help or support, even on days when he’s not dropping off the food parcels.” Knowing there were people out there who wanted to help and care for her family meant the world to Kamara and her children. 

Kamara is continuing to support others in her position through the help and encouragement she has received herself. “I always try my best to give tins to food banks when I can. I’m so excited to share these recipes with others too – 20 frozen sausages can go a long way for a hungry family!” 

“Hope for my family makes me happy, thank you!” From Preston, aged 5, one of Kamara’s children. 

As our country counts the cost of COVID-19, there are millions of families in urgent need of practical or pastoral support. 

But there is hope. 

Our community of supporters are like-minded people and organisations who share in our vision that no child or family should struggle alone. And there's now a new way for you to get involved! 

You can now support TLG through your company to make a difference to communities throughout the UK. When your business becomes a TLG ‘Future Builder', it has the opportunity to demonstrate your company's ethos and values in action. Help spread the word to every business owner you know about our new TLG Corporate ‘Future Builder’ community and let's see lives transformed together.

CLICK HERE to find out more about how your business can become a Future Builder and change lives today!