I recently went through a marriage break up. Divorce after 16 years of marriage was a lot for me to process at the time and it sent me into a state of severe depression. This then began to impact my professional life and I lost my job. At a similar time, the pandemic started. Without a way to sustain my rent payments, I became homeless. I tried to get my life back on track but without a home or job in the middle of the COVID crisis, I just could not find a way out of the situation.
I was lucky to have some great friends around me during this time. Without them, I do not know where I would be now. When I was sleeping rough, they would bring me food in the park. With support, I've managed to find a temporary living solution.
Unfortunately, it seems that this experience has impacted my health and this is creating a barrier for me to get back into work. On top of this, the accommodation I'm in is not suitable for my children to visit. I have three children who mean the world to me and being separated from them is really tough.
I know once I can get into a secure and stable environment I can begin to build myself up both physically and mentally. Once I'm at full health again I can start to consider employment again. The most important thing will be able to see my kids again. This means everything to me at the moment.