How giving back led to a new career for Nizar
Nizar became homeless after the death of his friend, who owned the house he lived in. After St Mungo’s Outreach team helped Nizar off the streets and into stable accommodation, he decided to give back by becoming a volunteer.
Fast forward two and a half years, and Nizar has used his volunteering experience to secure a job working as a Care Assistant at one of St Mungo’s care homes for the elderly. He shares his success story.
Starting over
“I became homeless after my friend passed away. We’d lived together for many years in the house she owned, but when she died, I lost everything. I tried to fight to keep my home and it even went to court, but eventually, I had to leave. I was so stressed out that I even lost my job.
I had no idea what to do, because I’d never had an experience like this before. I spent a few nights sleeping on night buses and benches – it was horrible.
Luckily, it wasn’t long before I met St Mungo’s Outreach team. They approached me whilst I was sleeping rough in Trafalgar Square, and found me a bed for the night.
From then on, St Mungo’s have had my back. They provided me with a safe place to stay and helped me get a place of my own through the Housing First scheme. It’s given me a firm foundation to start getting back on track.”
