When I was 17 I was raped. No one could help me. I turned to alcohol and then gradually to drugs and dropped out of school. I had to leave home. I lived on the streets for a few years before I came to Daisyhouse. By the time i came here i was off drugs and had stopped drinking. All I thought I needed was somewhere to sleep.

I got so much more than i expected. I found the care and understanding of the staff so warm and safe. They showed me unconditional respect. In my life, I had never experienced anyone who cared for me without expecting anything in return. In my past life, this always came at a cost.
I really had wanted to go to college when i had been in school- they helped me get into a course and now i am studying occupational therapy.
I know they will always be a huge part of my life and whenever I need guidance I will remember what they taught me -that is to be true to myself so that i can be true to others.

The staff’s door is always open whenever you need to talk. When different problems arose for me and i knew i did not want to deal with them in the old way of getting angry and exploding, I was able to sit down and talk them out. I began to learn a better way of looking at things and dealing with them. I learned from them that the answer is always within me. They supported me and encouraged me to find it myself. In the beginning, this was hard but now I realise that I do know the answers.

This will last me for a lifetime. Without the support, it would have been very easy for me to slip back to the old destructive and negative ways of dealing with my life.

Daisyhouse gave me hope and more understanding of the world around me. I learned that everyone is not out to get me. I learned that other people’s anger or how they might treat me is not always my responsibility. I don’t have to react to everyone elses behavior and I can walk away and it does not mean that I’m weak or a coward. This was a huge thing for me as in my previous life, to walk away would have meant that I was afraid. Now, I know that what other people think of me does not really matter and the majority of the time it is not important at all. If I have treated them with respect then I have the right to expect it in return.

The staff are never too busy to help in any way they can.

Even though I have now moved out to my own apartment. I’m so happy to know that Daisyhouse is always there and I’m still a part of it. I receive ongoing support which is very important to help me stay afloat.