Last year our winter appeal helped vulnerable Hertfordshire residents throughout the county. One such story is self-employed carpenter, Max* and his 18-month-old daughter Poppy*. Max adores his baby daughter and has big hopes and dreams for her. When he separated from Poppy's mother things were tough. Sadly Poppy's mother was suffering with alcohol abuse issues and was unable to care for her. Max fought to have his daughter placed with him, however to do so he had to reduce the number of hours he worked to care for her. When he wasn't able to claim the benefits he anticipated his financial circumstances quickly became dire. Max received a small grant through our partners, the Citizens Advice Bureau, towards his fuel costs. Without this help he would not have been able to keep his home warm for his daughter. A donation to the HCF Winter Appeal could help another family like Max and Poppy. (Names have been changed)