James* came to know Barnabus after his life took an unfortunate detour. He turned to alcohol following his marriage breakdown, and over the coming years he lost his home, his job, and lost touch with his children.

Relationship breakdown is the largest cause of homelessness, and James’s story is one we’ve sadly heard many times before. Here, we explore the steps he took after seeking our support.

 

Financial stability comes first

James's life had been overcome by a series of chaotic and difficult tasks he once would have taken in his stride, he also really struggled to get sorted with his Universal Credit. With no income, he was sporadically sofa surfing and rough sleeping, and had come to rely on alcohol more and more as a coping strategy.

Eventually, James reached breaking point and wanted to get his life back on track. Through working with Barnabus and The Booth Centre, he was able to sort out his Universal Credit and secure himself some financial stability. We also referred him into one of the A Bed Every Night projects, where he was thankfully accepted.

 

After getting to the root of the cause

James has quickly begun turning his life around and bringing stability back to his life and actions. He’s looking after his health and wellbeing again. He recently got back in touch with his son. And he’s started drinking less. James is once again thinking hopefully about the future – one he was previously unwilling or incapable of planning for when it felt so far away – and getting back to work.

Taking these steps in his stride, James has recently moved into his own property and sees his future as bright.

 

Always on hand to work quickly

For many of our friends, their lives can fall apart rapidly. However, when they’re ready to work with us and other organisations, their recovery and journey away from the streets can be just as fast.

This story highlights why our engagement and support workers try hard to build trust with our friends – not only to encourage them to change, but also so that they know where they can come when they’re ready to change.

*Name has been changed to protect our friend’s identity