Homelessness is not always a choice. Having been on the streets for quite a few years, Joseph had been homeless and sleeping rough outside the Glen Eden Playhouse Theatre. “Fiona, a VisionWest Support Worker, found me, fed me, and gave me clothing and blankets.”
Thanks to your generosity, Joseph was subsequently housed by the VisionWest Community Housing team, first with a flatmate and then by himself. He’s been in his current home for nearly two years.
“I admit that I struggled with synthetic drugs for many years. I first used them to cope with trauma and pain in my life. With all that was going on, I didn’t take good care of my house. Then, I received a 90-day notice of eviction. That was a real kick up the butt. I thought, ‘This is it. I’ve lost VisionWest support. I’m going to lose my house.’
“But VisionWest never let go of me. I kept seeing the VisionWest staff business cards at my house and they kept turning up to see me. I was like, ‘Oh they’re still there.’ It gave me hope.”
That sense of hope brought a transformation to Joseph’s life. “I realised I was sick of my lifestyle. I didn’t want to be stuck anymore and something shifted in me. God and the supports I had in my life, including Phineas and Kellie from VisionWest and my ManUp men’s support group, got me off the drugs. God put the right people in my path and broke down the obstacles. I also realised I needed to take responsibility and stop jeopardising the good relationships and support in my life. I reconnected with my whānau and was able to change because I had my house and it wasn’t as hard as when I was out in the cold”.
It was your generosity that meant we could put the right people in Joseph’s path leading to a transformation in his life.
Joseph shares that, when he got his first letter from his tenancy manager to say how satisfied she was with the state of his house, “I was so happy. I can have peace at night”.
Click here to find out more about Visionwest Community Housing.