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EXTRAORDINARY LIVES | Holly's Story
“Growing up, I had a lot of trauma. My dad was a heroin user and he was in and out of jail.
Every three years, he'd go in and out for crimes relating to poverty. Because he would do robberies just to get his drugs. This made me feel abandoned. In a way, it was worse than if he just wasn’t around at all.
I had low self-esteem because I was like, ‘Why can't he just stay out of jail? Why can't we be a family? What's wrong with me?’
I was hyper-vigilant because of the trauma that came from observing family violence. And dealing with the police... they would come to our house and kick our door in.
I was really hostile towards any authority figures, including my teachers at school. I couldn't really make sense of what was happening, so it just led to anger. I was always angry. I used to fight all day, every day. I used to fight anyone, everyone. I got kicked out of school after Year 9.
My mum fed me and made sure I had clothes... but she was not really there to support my emotions because she was dealing with my dad’s stuff.
We were actually really poor. Everything, all the money my dad got, it just went straight up his arm. That's what my mum used to say when I asked, ‘Why don't we have money for food and stuff?’ My mum would answer, ‘Because it went up your dad's arm.’ I was 10 and I was like, ‘What does that even mean?'
I had an older sister. But I was a super angry little kid and we would just physically fight all the time. I didn't really have the social skills to make friends. I was a bully actually, because I didn't want to get bullied myself. I was mean. I wanted to dictate how my friendships went... it was just that power and control thing."
When you support the Extraordinary Lives program, the child of an inmate like Holly, will receive a camp experience, mentoring from a Christian leader who loves them, an Angel Tree Christmas gift, and school support. If a child has trouble visiting a parent in prison due to distance or other factors, we’ll also help facilitate these visits.
When you donate, you’re helping to keep a child off the same destructive path as their parent in prison. Thank you for your love and compassion which changes the trajectory of a child’s life.
Donate today! https://prison-fellowship.secure.force.com/Donate
“Growing up, I had a lot of trauma. My dad was a heroin user and he was in and out of jail.
Every three years, he'd go in and out for crimes relating to poverty. Because he would do robberies just to get his drugs. This made me feel abandoned. In a way, it was worse than if he just wasn’t around at all.
I had low self-esteem because I was like, ‘Why can't he just stay out of jail? Why can't we be a family? What's wrong with me?’
I was hyper-vigilant because of the trauma that came from observing family violence. And dealing with the police... they would come to our house and kick our door in.
I was really hostile towards any authority figures, including my teachers at school. I couldn't really make sense of what was happening, so it just led to anger. I was always angry. I used to fight all day, every day. I used to fight anyone, everyone. I got kicked out of school after Year 9.
My mum fed me and made sure I had clothes... but she was not really there to support my emotions because she was dealing with my dad’s stuff.
We were actually really poor. Everything, all the money my dad got, it just went straight up his arm. That's what my mum used to say when I asked, ‘Why don't we have money for food and stuff?’ My mum would answer, ‘Because it went up your dad's arm.’ I was 10 and I was like, ‘What does that even mean?'
I had an older sister. But I was a super angry little kid and we would just physically fight all the time. I didn't really have the social skills to make friends. I was a bully actually, because I didn't want to get bullied myself. I was mean. I wanted to dictate how my friendships went... it was just that power and control thing."
When you support the Extraordinary Lives program, the child of an inmate like Holly, will receive a camp experience, mentoring from a Christian leader who loves them, an Angel Tree Christmas gift, and school support. If a child has trouble visiting a parent in prison due to distance or other factors, we’ll also help facilitate these visits.
When you donate, you’re helping to keep a child off the same destructive path as their parent in prison. Thank you for your love and compassion which changes the trajectory of a child’s life.
Donate today! https://prison-fellowship.secure.force.com/Donate
Are you ready for Week of Prayer?
From September 11-18, we'll be praying for those impacted by crime around Australia - prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, victims of crime, and those who work in our prisons and justice system.
Download your copy of our postcard and keep it on your fridge or in your diary. There's also a handy phone wallpaper to remind you to pray through the prayer points each day.
https://prisonfellowship.org.au/week-of-prayer/
From September 11-18, we'll be praying for those impacted by crime around Australia - prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, victims of crime, and those who work in our prisons and justice system.
Download your copy of our postcard and keep it on your fridge or in your diary. There's also a handy phone wallpaper to remind you to pray through the prayer points each day.
https://prisonfellowship.org.au/week-of-prayer/
Are you ready for Week of Prayer?
From September 11-18, we'll be praying for those impacted by crime around Australia - prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, victims of crime, and those who work in our prisons and justice system.
Download your copy of our postcard and keep it on your fridge or in your diary. There's also a handy phone wallpaper to remind you to pray through the prayer points each day.
https://prisonfellowship.org.au/week-of-prayer/
From September 11-18, we'll be praying for those impacted by crime around Australia - prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, victims of crime, and those who work in our prisons and justice system.
Download your copy of our postcard and keep it on your fridge or in your diary. There's also a handy phone wallpaper to remind you to pray through the prayer points each day.
https://prisonfellowship.org.au/week-of-prayer/
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