Abdul's story

When Abdul lost his home, he had no idea how quickly life could unravel. Following the breakdown of his marriage, he was forced to move between parks and hostels, with nowhere safe to go and no clear path forward. 

"I came to Crisis in a bad way. I had everything, a wife and three lovely kids, and then it fell apart and my marriage broke down. I was depressed, and everything hurt inside of me. 

“I slept rough for nine months, before staying in a hostel for six months. I went to see a doctor and they told me about Crisis. 

“When I first came to Crisis, it was like a big hug. I met my lead worker, Kaz, and everything changed. When you’re homeless, people look at you like you are no one, but with Crisis, you are seen and heard. 

“I finally found a home and I’ve been here over a year and love it.  

“When you have your own space and somewhere to call home, it’s amazing. You feel safe and can do the things that you love and that makes you feel happy. 

“I was a completely different person two years ago. My head hung low, no confidence, no trust in anyone or anything and a broken man. Without Crisis, I’d probably still be on the street. Because of Crisis, I feel like I’m someone and that makes me so happy. Crisis has been great and unbelievably kind." 

330,000 families and individuals like Abdul are experiencing homelessness right now. This Spring, take one step for each one of them as part of our step challenge. You can walk, jog or run. 

Running has been a big part of Abdul's journey out of homelessness. He says, "When I was homeless, running kept me focussed. If you stay in one place, then your mind doesn’t work but when you run, your mind is open. Running helps me keep busy. I run every day for 1 and ½ hours. I run, then walk, then sit in the park and have my tea and then run more. The park I run through now is beautiful and it has deer and budgies - it’s amazing."