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“Crisis helped me find my way back to where I really belong”

How you can help support someone to rebuild their lives

More people than ever are being forced into homelessness. The latest figures show that over 4,780 people were seen sleeping rough between July and September last year – an 18% year-on-year increase. (And this figure is hugely underestimated, as women are often hidden from view – riding the buses or walking endlessly through the night, too scared to sleep). 

Eva was forced into homelessness due to growing pressures in her life  – losing work due to the pandemic, a marriage break-down and inability to access disability benefits.

We all need a home to build a life and thrive, and thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, Eva was able to get the help she needed to rebuild her life after homelessness.

Read Eva and Kaz's story

How your support helps people out of homelessness

Eva didn’t have access to a computer and without the right support, she couldn’t get the help she was entitled to, including disability payments for mobility problems.

The benefit system has a really important role to play in helping people who are homeless find and hold onto jobs Across our services, we're supporting people to find work or access the benefits they might be entitled to, with specialist teams who connect people with employers, as well as help with CVs and interview practice.

For Eva, Kaz feels like family. The strength of the relationship they were able to build was only possible thanks to the generosity of our supporters, enabling our Lead Workers to spend the time needed to support our Members, just like Eva, to rebuild their lives.

We offer new members initial needs assessments where we can talk through their situation and make a plan together. People can need a range of help from claiming benefits they're entitled to, to building their confidence and independence or taking a qualification that could help them find work.

Eva needed glasses as well as support for her mobility issues. Along with finding a flat, Kaz also helped Eva access disability payments as well as a visit to the optometrist for glasses.

Through group sessions and one-to-one therapy with clinical psychologists, your support helps members improve their mental and physical wellbeing. We work particularly closely with people experiencing complex mental health problems too, helping them get specialist help and accommodation as urgently as possible.

Through arts and wellbeing sessions run at our Crisis Skylights – including jewellery making, yoga, and computer literacy – Eva quickly developed skills and hobbies that brought her joy and built her self-esteem.  
 
All Crisis Members can access a vast array of courses and qualifications online - helping them take another critical step forwards. We also cover vocational skills, including retail and hospitality traineeships in our shops.

Your donation doesn’t just ensure people have a safe and stable place to live. By helping Eva into a home and providing the tailored support she needed, you gave her a vital sense of belonging in her community – and society.
— Kaz, Eva’s former case worker

 

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“With support from Crisis, Eva was able to build a life where she feels safe.”

 

Read Eva's full story

 

Ending homelessness is about so much more than putting a roof over someone’s head, it’s about providing the tailored support a person needs to rebuild their life, in many different ways.   

Eva worked in a hotel until the pandemic hit in 2020 and she lost her job. When her marriage broke down, she was forced into homelessness. She had no family to turn to, and without an income, she was forced to sofa-surf. When she had to move on, the council didn’t see her as a priority, despite her age, and turned her away because they said her paperwork needed updating. 

Eva had no option but to sleep on the streets: 

“For three days I lived on the road, I never closed my eyes because I didn’t know what was going to happen. If you sleep, you are half dead – you can’t understand what’s going on around you, especially as a woman.” 

Thankfully, Eva heard about Crisis through a friend and asked for help at one of our shops. It was then that she was introduced to Kaz who helped her find a flat of her own. 

 “Eva was so excited, she told me it felt like a palace. We helped her with furniture and kitchen essentials and then started applying for local council accommodation. 

It’s time which is vital to help people overcome the barrier that forced them into homelessness, to restore their trust, develop their confidence and support their growth.” 

 

 

We continue to face increasing demand for our support, but your gift will help our team to support more people to secure a home and rebuild their lives after homelessness.

Donate now

 

Contact the supporter helpline

Please contact our Supporter Care team if you have any questions about making a donation to Crisis. You can also contact them if you would like to change the way we communicate with you.

supporter.helpline@crisis.org.uk

08000 384838

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