Alpha’s Story: Hardship and Resilience in COVID Times
Like many young Australians, Alpha immediately lost all his shifts at work when the pandemic began. He was a casual employee at the time, and his employer simply couldn’t guarantee work to all of their casual team. As COVID restrictions in NSW began to ease, Alpha was offered sporadic shifts here and there. Some weeks he would get one shift, some he would get more, and often he would get no shifts at all.
His unpredictable income opened up old wounds at home, and as rising tensions culminated, Alpha was told to leave home by his Aunt. Fortunately, Alpha was previous resident of Stepping Stone House, and after reaching out to his Case Manager, was promptly found accommodation through MyFoundations community housing with a roommate.
Unfortunately, Alpha’s resilience was tested once again as major issues developed and continued to escalate between him and his roommate. Eventually, Alpha was receiving verbal and physical threats on a daily basis. Alpha’s living environment became so unsafe that he fled.
Once again, Alpha was made homeless.
In addition to experiencing homelessness yet again, Alpha’s car was broken into, and his laptop and Airpods were stolen. It is a testament to Alpha’s resilience and self-determination that he did not miss a single shift at work during this period, proving his worth as a valuable employee.
After staying with a friend for a while, Alpha managed to find stable accommodation in the rental market. He now has a respectful relationship with his new roommate, and has since been offered full-time employment at his workplace.
At Stepping Stone House, we are incredibly proud of Alpha and his immense personal strength during this time of unprecedented hardship. We share his story today because we believe Alpha deserves recognition for refusing to give up, and so that others may be inspired by his example.
Alpha’s story ultimately has a happy ending, but many of the young people at Stepping Stone House are experiencing truly dire circumstances. The pandemic is taking a serious toll on mental health, livelihoods, and relationships. Stepping Stone House will always be there for our youth, but we need your ongoing support to help them become the very best they can be and break the cycle of homelessness.