Anita's story

There are two days that Anita sees as truly life-changing. 

The first was when she decided to leave her partner after months of increasingly abusive behaviour. The stress had affected her focus at work, and she lost her job. After he threatened her one morning. Anita feared for her life. So she packed a bag and left. 

She’d lost contact with her family, and felt she had nowhere else to go. After shutting that front door behind her that morning, she walked and walked through London.  

Anita had no idea where to go for help. 

She had no destination in mind – just getting as far away from her abuser as possible. She found a hostel and had enough money to stay there for a couple of weeks. But she had no idea where to go for help. She contacted the council, but because of the lack of suitable accommodation available around London, they weren’t able to support her as quickly as she needed help. And she got in touch with a refuge service, but she was turned away because underfunding meant they just had no space. She was stuck, and with every day that went by in the hostel, she felt more and more vulnerable and unsafe. 

As her money ran out, so did her options. Her first night without a roof over her head was spent on a park bench. No sleep. No shelter. And no idea what tomorrow would bring. 

From that day on, life became about making it through every night. She’d sleep in the city centre, where at least she could find shelter in alleyways or shop fronts. But that came with its own dangers. She remembers being abused by drunk passers-by and having drinks thrown at her. She met other women who were rough sleeping, who told her stories about the abuse they’d faced on the streets. 

Anita went from fearing abuse at home, to fearing the same on the streets. It got to the point where she’d try to hide her gender by wearing baggy clothes and putting her hood up – just to avoid the people who might take advantage of her. 

She was too scared to sleep at night on the streets, so she’d try to sleep in the day. She’d ride on the night buses until sunrise and try to sleep there, or use her money on a coffee in a late-night restaurant and sleep there. Anything to avoid the streets. 

As autumn became winter, buses were the norm at night – for shelter and sleep. If she was asked to leave, she knew she wouldn’t sleep. She’d spend the early hours walking, looking for somewhere that seemed safe enough to lay her head. She remembers the generosity of one woman – a passer-by who bought her hot food one evening and sat and talked to her for a while. Anita hadn’t had a proper conversation for two months. 

It wasn’t long after that someone from StreetLink found Anita and referred her to Crisis at Christmas.  

That was the second day that changed her life. 

Arriving at the Crisis hotel, she anxiously waited outside for over half an hour, not sure what the day would bring. But when she went in, she remembers the smile that greeted her. It was a smile she wasn’t used to being directed at her. It had become normal for people to ignore her or even abuse her, but in that moment someone said her name, welcomed her, and asked what she needed. 

She’ll never forget that first day. She had a decent hot meal, a ‘mini miracle’ of a shower, and that night, she had her own room. Safety, warmth, freedom, privacy. Opening that door for the first time was an overwhelming experience.  

Anita first met Melissa from Crisis in the days that followed. She was a similar age to her, so Anita felt like she understood her. She really put the time in to show she cared for Anita. Melissa helped Anita with things like benefits and job applications, and as Anita saw progress, it just gave her more energy and drive to find her way in life. 

Anita also became more involved in the activities at Crisis at Christmas. Anita joined the art classes and loved exploring her creative side. There’s one moment Anita won’t ever forget. It was Christmas time, and all her female friends were sitting together, playing Christmas games, eating Christmas food and just having a really nice time.  

Despite Anita’s determination to find a home, accommodation was so lacking and in-demand that it took another two months of support before she could move into her own one-bed flat. But now she’s over the moon. Crisis helped her with the deposit payment and a grant to start making the place her own, which she used to buy things like a sofa and a rug. She can read, study, cook and be creative, all in her own safe space. 

A space that has given her the foundations of a brighter future. 

As she enjoyed her craft sessions with Crisis so much, Anita is now turning her love of fashion into a livelihood. Melissa told her about the Changing Lives grant, which helps people experiencing homelessness set up their own small business or progress into education or employment. They worked together to come up with a plan for Anita’s business. 

With the grant secured and equipment purchased for her, Anita is in the process of designing and making her own clothes to sell online. At Crisis, Anita embraced her creativity. It gave her confidence, something to focus on, and in time, a way into a better life. Today, she still has moments – relaxing in her flat, stitching another garment, seeing a sale come through – where she can’t believe how far she’s come. 

This story is based on real experiences.