Before we met Andy, his life took a downward turn as his relationship deteriorated and his physical disability worsened, leaving him reliant on crutches. Struggling with isolation and depression, alcohol became his escape. Eventually, he lost his job and was placed in unsafe emergency accommodation where “rancid” conditions left him feeling hopeless.
“The gin bottle was a big pause button for all the problems”
A friend referred Andy to Justlife and we began offering consistent health, housing and wellbeing support, helping him access disability benefits, treatment for his health conditions, and advocating for better housing conditions in his temporary accommodation. With our help, Andy secured more suitable housing and started engaging in recovery programs.
Today, Andy is sober and following a 12-step program. He has transformed the garden area at his program and enjoys sharing his cooking and gardening skills with others. With improved finances and a solid long-term housing plan, Andy feels hopeful about the future and aims to use his experiences to help others.
“All my issues were interrelated and contributed to my situation. They all needed to be addressed together, instead of one at a time. More people could be helped if more services could support them like this”.
Read about the impact our services have had for people experiencing homelessness here.
Image credit: Centre for Homelessness Impact Image Library
