Amos House is Routes to Roots’ supported accommodation in Poole for three former rough sleepers. It is just about a year since they moved in and things are going well.Two of the residents agreed to share their thoughts on their experience:
“If I hadn’t gone to R2R then I would probably still be on the streets now. I was pretty messed up mentally. I was very stressed and depressed at having reached rock bottom.”
“It was a huge adjustment to be inside. Sleeping outside had become the norm. I think of the amount of damage the cold did to me when I was outside, all day. The cold gets in your bones. If I was back on the streets again now, I don’t think I would survive.”
“What is so great about Amos House is not just that I have a roof over my head but that R2R are always there to support us if we have any problems.”
“I now volunteer at the drop ins. It gives me something to do and gives me an opportunity to give something back.”
R2R is now starting the second year of the project, and is considering the next phase, which will be to help the guys move into their own accommodation, hopefully with the courage and experience to keep it going. Then, the charity will recruit more residents. By this time next year, it hopes to be entering a new phase with three different residents in Amos House.
Susan Gittins
