He first arrived at Matthew’s House with a quiet nod and a tired smile.
Tough looking, but softly spoken. Worn down by the streets, but never without a flicker of warmth in his voice.
He came often — mostly for food, sometimes for a shower, always with a heavy pull-along trolley, packed with his belongings. One of those old-fashioned ones, the kind you might see in a market. It rattled behind him as he entered, a quiet symbol of everything he carried — physically and emotionally.
He never asked for much.
In fact, when we offered help, support, or referrals, he gently shook his head.
“I just want to be here,” he’d say.
To sit. To eat. To breathe. To be around people who didn’t look past him.
And so he came. And we welcomed him — every time.
Then, one sunny day, he arrived… different.
His face was lighter. His steps a little faster. His voice brighter.
“I found a place,” he said, almost in disbelief, “just 15 minutes away.”
And this time — no trolley.
He walked in open-handed, no longer dragging the past behind him. The shift wasn’t just practical, it was personal. You could see it in his eyes, in the way he spoke. Hope had settled in.
He still visits now. Still chats. Still laughs. Still quietly grateful.
But now he comes from a place of safety, not survival.
And it’s beautiful to witness.
At Matthew’s House, we know that not every story follows a straight line or works out.
Some journeys take time. Some people just need a place to be, until they’re ready to take the next step.
This was one of those stories.
And we’re super chuffed to still be a part of it.
#MatthewsHouse #HospitalityAndHope #StoriesThatMatter #FromStreetsToStability #HopeInAction #NoOneForgotten #OpenHandsOpenHeart