Your support helped Neil put his darkest days behind him
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve seen so many people who have fallen on hard times with nowhere to turn – until they found Hutt St Centre. But your support ensures we’re here for people when they need us most.
People like Neil*, who was married for 28 years, with three children, a good home and a job he loved – until last year, when his marriage broke down and he lost his longtime job.
Not wanting to uproot his family, Neil left them the house and moved into temporary accommodation. Then, tragically, he was diagnosed with cancer.
When he came to us for help, Neil was living in an unsafe boarding house while undergoing cancer treatment and trying to heal from surgery. He was struggling with severe anxiety as a result of everything he’d been through.
But thanks to the kindness of people like you, Neil was able to connect with Dawn*, a case manager who supported him to access vital medical treatment, apply for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and find a home of his own.
“Without that support, I honestly wouldn’t be alive… I would have given up,” Neil says. “I was at breaking point. I couldn’t work but I still had to pay my mortgage. I couldn’t afford to rent anywhere else. When I went to Hutt St, everything changed…”
“I can’t tell you how life-changing that support has been. You have shown me life can be better with the right support. You have helped me through the hardest days I have ever faced. I really can’t express the gratitude I feel for the difference you’ve made in my life.”
Dawn says Neil’s story has a happy ending, thanks to the generous supporters who make our work possible.
“Knowing where Neil has come from and seeing where he is now, just reminds me of why I am here,” she says. “He is now fully connected to the NDIS and will have ongoing support and a roof over his head for the rest of his life.”
Thank you for giving Neil and people like him the chance to rebuild their lives and look to the future with confidence.
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*At Hutt St Centre we respect everyone who comes to us for help – and many are working toward a fresh start in life. So while this is a true story, names have been changed to protect their privacy. Thank you for understanding.