Warmth found in a dark place by charities working together!
Here is a story we had the privileged to be part of including our DIGNITY PACKS gifted to a woman suffering period poverty in Swansea. We have changed the name for reason of dignity and protection.
Charlotte is a young mother with a very bright boy who’s just started nursery and a girl in year 4. Charlotte lost her Sister a few years ago and has been very depressed ever since. The relationship with her partner broke down in 2017 and sent her into a spiral of self-harm, substance abuse and resulted in hospitalisation for mental health. Her children then had to go and live with their Dad. During her six weeks in Hospital, Charlotte failed to respond to any post. This meant she lost her Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction and failed to complete a PIP application. When Charlotte left hospital, she had no support. She didn’t open any letters. She didn’t answer any phone calls. Charlotte said: “I was in such a dark place that I felt under attack, every time the phone rang”. She got in touch with a local charity, that Matthew’s House provide Dignity Packs to, and they began helping her piece her life back together. Part of this process was the handing over of a Dignity Pack. Her Key Worker said that when Charlotte accepted the Dignity Pack and told him, it was the first time since leaving hospital that she had felt like a woman. She was so used to being treated as a series of conditions, as a “depressive”, a “self-harmer” and so on, that she had forgotten how it felt to be seen as a female. The Key worker said “Your dignity pack returned a piece of Charlotte’s identity to her, contributed towards her self-esteem and made Charlotte feel acknowledged. On Charlotte’s behalf – thank you.”
Just this week we have given more dignity pack out and it is important to remember that hope and dignity can be found in the smallest and simplest ways of generosity, yet it can be one of the most powerful tools when helping to change lives.
Thom: Warmth found in a dark place by charities working together!
Here is a story we had the privileged to be part of including our DIGNITY PACKS gifted to a woman suffering period poverty in Swansea. We have changed the name for reason of dignity and protection.
Charlotte is a young mother with a very bright boy who’s just started nursery and a girl in year 4. Charlotte lost her Sister a few years ago and has been very depressed ever since. The relationship with her partner broke down in 2017 and sent her into a spiral of self-harm, substance abuse and resulted in hospitalisation for mental health. Her children then had to go and live with their Dad. During her six weeks in Hospital, Charlotte failed to respond to any post. This meant she lost her Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction and failed to complete a PIP application. When Charlotte left hospital, she had no support. She didn’t open any letters. She didn’t answer any phone calls. Charlotte said: “I was in such a dark place that I felt under attack, every time the phone rang”. She got in touch with a local charity, that Matthew’s House provide Dignity Packs to, and they began helping her piece her life back together. Part of this process was the handing over of a Dignity Pack. Her Key Worker said that when Charlotte accepted the Dignity Pack and told him, it was the first time since leaving hospital that she had felt like a woman. She was so used to being treated as a series of conditions, as a “depressive”, a “self-harmer” and so on, that she had forgotten how it felt to be seen as a female. The Key worker said “Your dignity pack returned a piece of Charlotte’s identity to her, contributed towards her self-esteem and made Charlotte feel acknowledged. On Charlotte’s behalf – thank you.”
Just this week we have given more dignity pack out and it is important to remember that hope and dignity can be found in the smallest and simplest ways of generosity, yet it can be one of the most powerful tools when helping to change lives.