Rose (L) with her daughter.

Eight years ago Rose was forced to flee an abusive relationship after her partner nearly killed her with a Stanley knife during a horrendously vicious assault that left her with a punctured lung, broken ribs and her hair pulled out in chunks.

The assault began in a car and was so bad she contemplated driving into a pole. Then he dragged her into a public park and threatened to cut her throat with the knife. Rose says passers-by witnessed this happen and turned away.

“I endured what I thought my last hours on this earth would be,” she told news.com.au.

She managed to escape and took her then eight-year-old daughter to live at her mother’s at Ipswich.

Rose (right) today with her now 16-year-old daughter.Source:Supplied

Then, in 2011, the floods came. Her mother’s house went under and they lost everything.

Eventually, three years ago, she and her daughter were able to get a housing commission house in Inala — a working-class suburb of Brisbane made famous after TV producers tried to make it the next “Struggle Street”. In fact they filmed in her street.

Despite looking for work every day she struggled to find a job, relying on Newstart and family benefits. In January her pharmacy and telephone allowance were cut off, as were her income support bonus and energy supplement bonus.

The Brisbane suburb of Inala, where Rose now lives in a housing commission house and where Struggle Street producers wanted to film a new series.Source:News Corp Australia

Even so, she managed to get finance for a car because, she says, she was promised a job at Woolworths. Then the job fell through and now she is worried the car will be repossessed — she is already a month behind in her payments.

And so today she lives in constant fear that she will be literally unable to put food on the table. After rent and bills she has just $8 a day to feed both her and her daughter.

And, just for good measure, her daughter is a coeliac, meaning she has special dietary needs.

Often Rose will go without so her daughter can have a decent meal.

But the worst thing of all is that Rose is not alone. Research released today by the Salvation Army reveals that almost 70 per cent of Salvos clients say just getting enough food to eat is a daily challenge.

And two-thirds of the 1380 respondents reported being under “extreme” housing stress — forced to spend more than half their income on accommodation.

Other research obtained by news.com.au reveals that domestic violence is the number one reason for women being forced to move house — almost one third of respondents who had moved in the past 12 months said violence was the reason.

Rose (L) with her daughter.Source:Supplied

Rose says the only way she is even able to survive is with the help of the Salvos. Not only did they come to the rescue after the floods but they are still able to help her make ends meet.

Even so, just making it to the end of each day is a gargantuan task.

“Breakfast is usually some toast if there’s enough bread (which has to be gluten free) after lunch is made for school and if there isn’t enough I just leave it for my daughter as a parent does,” she says.

“I’m trying to keep my car payments up to date which isn’t really working and am about to lose it, plus other bills. I actively seek employment everyday but with no luck.

“So life’s a bit of a struggle.”

But perhaps the most extraordinary thing about Rose is how grateful she is. Either that or her capacity for understatement.

If you would like to give Rose and thousands of others struggling with domestic violence, homelessness and poverty another reason to be grateful, donate to the Salvos Red Shield Appeal by calling 13 SALVOS or at salvos.org.au

*Name has been changed