outlet to work towards in being able to paint and win prizes.” Margaret has entered the annual ‘Home is Where the Art is’ Competition several times and received three prizes for her entries. “I’ve come first once and third twice. I wouldn’t have known I was able to compete for something like that if it hadn’t been for Housing Choices. It’s given me a sense of value in myself.” Prior to becoming a Housing Choices resident, it had been a long time since Margaret painted. “When I was a child, I used to paint and dabble in a little bit of art. But it wasn’t until I was an adult and started doing it again that I realised okay, I’m not bad at it, I’m actually pretty good at it. “It makes me happy and puts me in a state of
Margaret was initially a bit hesitant, as her new home in St Kilda would be about an hour away from her family in Cranbourne East. Despite this, she finds the distance manageable. “Some people live even further away from their families,” she said. While St Kilda is not in an area Margaret initially pictured herself in, the comfort she’s found there is something she’s forever grateful for. “Having found a stable home in a good area where everything is local and close by has been a blessing in disguise. Like I said, I wasn’t looking for it, but I guess some sort of divine intervention came in place and I found it.” Living in secure accommodation has also allowed Margaret to reconnect with her creativity. “I’m grateful to Housing Choices. Not only have they provided housing for me, but they’ve also given me an
A blessing in disguise After getting discharged from a psychiatric unit, Margaret was faced with nowhere to go and in need of housing. Then social workers referred her to crisis accommodation. “It was horrible... It was one of the most awful experiences of my life, I would never wish it upon anyone to be in that situation,” Margaret said. After several weeks, Margaret moved to temporary housing with the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) while she waited for a long- term home. Then Margaret’s support worker at YWCA let her know a two-bedroom unit had become available with Housing Choices.
10
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online