If there’s one thing Henry* loves, it’s the Penrith Panthers. But his Wesley Community Housing tenants and team come in a close second (kind of like the Brisbane Broncos).
“We all help each other out. We look after each other,” he says.
An avid footballer in his youth, Henry’s life changed dramatically when mental illness took hold. What followed was almost three decades of drug use, despair and loss.
Until he connected with Wesley Mission.
Down and out
Troubled with paranoid schizophrenia and depression from a young age, Henry saw drugs as a way to escape the mental and emotional instability he was experiencing.
With little understanding about what was happening to him, Henry’s life continued to spiral out of control.
He found himself plagued by nightmarish visions, while his reality was marred by housing instability, altercations with the police and little support from those around him. His breaking point came when he lost a child.
“My missus carried the baby for nine months, gave birth, [only] to have her for six months and she was taken,” he says. “I pray it was Jesus that took her away from all the mess that’s going on in the world today.”
A game changer
“If it weren’t for Wesley Mission, I’d be dead. I wouldn’t be alive,” says Henry. “I was addicted to a few things, and I had hit rock bottom.
“I used to travel the train system just to have somewhere warm in the winter. When I met Wesley Mission, my whole life turned around.”
Henry says he now chooses to stay sober. But fears if he went to a housing commission block, it wouldn’t be the same.
“Wesley Mission helped me every time I slipped with my addiction,” he says. “I slipped a few times when I started [here], but I haven’t looked back since. My supports and the team stood by me and never judged me.”
“[My neighbours] respect my beliefs,” he continues. “When I meet someone new here, I say, ‘Don’t give me a drink’. I’ve tried to ask them, but they say, ‘No Henry, we’re not giving you one’. They care, and I care about them.
“It’s so supportive, but it’s more that I’m not on my own anymore. Living in these places is like living with your family… It’s good here.”
Liesa, Wesley Community Housing Community Engagement Lead, says it’s the people that make this community what it is.
“I know they’re now cooking for each other,” she says. “And if we bring hampers up and they don’t like some food, they give it to somebody else or leave it out to share.
“Even if someone can’t come down for an event, either us or somebody else will take the leftovers and divvy it up. I think it’s really, really lovely how they look out for each other.”
A winning team
There’s no doubt in Henry’s mind that he’s found his winning team with Wesley Community Housing.
“It’s a great place to call home,” he says. “All different nationalities, all different religions – Wesley Mission accepts everyone. [They] don’t discriminate.”
And while Henry initially found it hard to connect with his spirituality, since being sober he’s reconnected with his faith.
“God means everything,” he says. “I blamed Jesus when my daughter passed away and lost all faith in Christ. I was in a spiritual war.
“When I found Wesley Mission, I found God again. The door was open again. When Jesus was on the mountain, he was open to everyone… like Wesley Mission.”
When asked if he’d ever move from his Wesley Community Housing unit, Henry says unequivocally, “No”.
“Wesley Mission is a great place,” he continues. “And if you went to everyone now and asked them the same question, they’d say, ‘We don’t want to move from here at all’.
“It’s such a blessing, this place. It’s great. I love it here.”
And Liesa agrees, saying she wouldn’t let Henry go anywhere.
“We’re not going to let you move out anyway. We’d miss you too much!”
*Name and image changed to protect privacy
