The first day, when I got my welcome pack and the door closed; I burst into tears. It was a bit of relief and fear all rolled into one.
Just before her 25th birthday Lucy found herself homeless with nowhere to go and no interest in life. She had reached a point where she no longer wanted to live.
Lucy had always struggled with her mental health, but she had been living alone in her own accommodation and coping well, until her brother moved in with her. With the extra pressure of having to look after her brother, and trying to keep him on the “the right path”, Lucy’s mental health began to deteriorate. She needed to seek help and fast.
Lucy was placed in a respite centre to deal with her mental health. After a week she returned home to collect some more belongings and found that her Mother had taken her room and she was no longer welcome. With no place of her own Lucy was now homeless.
The mental health team gave her lots of information about YMCA Doncaster and helped her to apply for accommodation. Lucy was initially worried about moving in to YMCA Doncaster as she didn’t know what to expect.
Lucy said “The first day, when I got my welcome pack and the door closed; I burst into tears. It was a bit of relief and fear all rolled into one.”
It didn’t take Lucy long to settle in and feel welcome:
“I got a card on my birthday, it was the only card I got. I had just moved in to YMCA Doncaster and it meant so much to me. I’ve still got it now.”
Lucy added “YMCA helped me to build my confidence. They helped me to sort out my debts and register with the local authority for housing. This place gives you opportunities you might not normally get”
With the support of her Keyworker at YMCA Doncaster Lucy accessed a Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Course (DBT) and began managing her mental health so well, that the time arose for her to look for accommodation to move on to.
“Thinking about moving in to my own accommodation again made me a little scared, but the support from YMCA Keyworkers was incredible. I managed to secure a beautiful property in a lovely area”
With pride in her eyes and a smile on her face Lucy stated “I have a future now. I have pets, which give me a tomorrow knowing they need feeding and looking after.
“I have never been this stable in my entire life. I am not on medication anymore, I am just me and I can cope!”
There are many ways you can support our work with young people like Lucy. Please click here for information on how you might be able to help.
