Dylan found himself living on the streets. With nowhere to turn, he’d hit rock bottom. Facing homelessness and without hope.
“I didn’t think I had any other choice, but suicide,” says Dylan, looking back.
“I was advised to go to a place, which I now know to be Oasis Community Housing’s Basis drop-in. I was very sceptical at first as my clothes were dirty and I didn’t smell very good. I was very hungry and heavily dehydrated.
“[That’s when] my life started to become wee bit easier, as I was greeted with an amazing lady called Ashleigh – and I was asked if would like a hot drink and a bite to eat, which, at the time, made me feel like I had died and went to Heaven!”
Ashleigh, Project Team Leader at our Basis Gateshead drop-in, and the wider team welcomed Dylan with a hot drink, food, a shower, the offer of new clothes, as well as practical support and advice.
“Ashleigh said she would give me a couple sets of clothes, which honestly gave me a lump in my throat,” explains Dylan, who came to the drop-in only owning the clothes on his back.
In the weeks following Dylan’s first drop-in visit, he managed to secure himself a couple of job interviews.
Thanks to a generous donation from Barbour, Ashleigh was able to offer Dylan some smart clothes to attend his interviews. Dylan got ready at the drop-in, pictured here, and performed so well at that interview that he was offered the job.
“I have been using the drop-in every single day that it is open and to be honest with the amazing support I haven’t looked back. They went above and beyond that day and continue to do so till this day.
“It wasn’t just Ashleigh, it was the full team of people with massive hearts that work there. Honestly, from the bottom of my heart, the staff at Basis have saved my life and they deserve all the love and happiness in the world.”
Wishing Dylan the best of luck in his new role!
Our drop-ins are able to bring hope, not homelessness, thanks to the generosity of people like you; any donation makes a life-changing difference to Dylan and others like him facing homelessness. Find out more >
* This posted has been updated, to help protect the identity of the person we are supporting