‘The church has been the cornerstone of my recovery’: homelessness ends in community

Prichard is a young man whose life was almost destroyed by drug addiction. It led him into a chaotic lifestyle which spiraled downwards and led him into homelessness.  As he bluntly puts it

‘My life was a shambles.’

It’s a story I have seen so many times in so many people trapped in addictions and homelessness: the addiction robs them of resources, ruins their relationships and scars their very identity.

Rehab

Pritchard’s life started to change when he went into rehab. As he says

‘I went there to get broken down and built back again’.

The rehab proved successful, but for many the biggest challenge is re-entering ‘normal life’. How do you avoid isolation and the temptation to be drawn back into your previous lifestyle?

There has been countless times over the last 30 years where I have seen people who have been homeless ‘resettled’ into accommodation but it has not lasted and they return to the chaos of homelessness.  Often its because whilst they may have the resource of housing, they do not have positive relationships with others or a positive identity within themselves.

This is why home-lessness is so much more than house-lessness.  Homes are more than resources – they are places of relationship and identity. Restoring these is often more complex than providing accommodation.

Relational

Prichard found these elements by moving into a Hope into Action house which is partnered with the Trent Vineyard church in Nottingham. As he says:

‘The church gave me the community, it gave me a family as well…that love has helped me be reconciled with my mother.’

Community, family, love, reconciliation: just reflect on how utterly relational these words are. And its not just within the church, because this love he has received has helped him restore a relationship with his mother too.

Made for community

Of course, good accommodation is vital to overcome homelessness, but humans need other humans: we are made for community and relationships will always be central to human flourishing.

In the church Prichard has found relationships which are two-way. The best recovery builds mutuality.  He is no passive recipient but rather has been empowered to use his skills to serve and give to others. This is what builds identity and a sense of meaning and purpose. As he sums it up:

‘The church has been the cornerstone of my recovery’

Hope into Action

Hope into Action is the charity I work for. We have a unique model to address homelessness which combines quality housing, professional support through our Empowerment Workers as well as the friendship and community of the local church. 

This partnership with local churches is our ‘secret sauce’ and what makes us different to just being a ‘service provider’ of accommodation. It’s a privilege to work with people like Prichard see them find what they need to overcome homelessness.

Going the hard-yards

Christmas is a time when many people think about homelessness, but we should avoid being too sentimental or superficial at this time of year. We need to be realistic about what people need to truly escape homelessness.

Hope into Action works with our tenants and church partners 12 months a year to walk with them on the ‘hard-yards’ of recovery and help them rebuild their lives for the long-term. 

Please visit our appeal site where you can see Prichard talk more about his journey: Hope into Action Christmas Appeal.