Joseph

Accommodation

I came here because I had nowhere else to go apart from family, and I didn’t want to be a burden on them. That’s why I came here for help.

At the time I was an alcoholic. Sometimes I’d be working, but my addiction to alcohol made it hard to hold down a steady job because I was always taking to the booze.

When I got here for the first time I was intoxicated when I entered the building, so I can’t tell you too much about how I was feeling at that moment – it’s a blurred memory. I was destitute and depressed.

At first I was sceptical because I didn’t know much about The Salvation Army’s role in helping me, but as time went by I became more easy and free going because I felt they were helping with my depression.

I’ve had great help from The Salvation Army since I’ve been here. Some people living here are in a similar situation to me. They help us get on with our lives better than going elsewhere. I feel more content than when I was living out there on my own.

One of the most important things is the medical assistance I’ve received. Recently I had a massive blood clot and I didn’t recognise the symptoms. Our resident nurse immediately sent me to the hospital to get treated.

Many men here have far better experiences of help than they would get out there from their friends or families because their families sometimes don’t understand the situations they get into.