For so long, Alex just craved a ‘normal life’.
Enough food, a bed to sleep in, hopefully a job. And after that, maybe even a relationship. A companion to share everything with.
But for many years that just wasn’t the case.
Finding himself without a roof over his head and food on the table, eventually led to a spiral of addiction to heroin and crack, and ultimately, prison.
That was then, and this is now.
Alex, 38, is engaging really positively with the Good Shepherd and other local services, who have worked together to help him move on from his traumas and consider a brighter future ahead.
He is volunteering within the Good Shepherd’s food service, is a regular at the meaningful activity programme which increases confidence and self-esteem, and is also attending the City of Wolverhampton College.
“I feel good and I feel proud,” he says. He now even has his own laptop, not only to do his college work, but also keep in close touch with his family back home in Latvia.
There is still much work to be done. Alex has many more challenges ahead to come out of the darkness and into the light.
But his story, being shared on World Homelessness Day and World Mental Health Day, is another reminder that no matter how bad things can get, how much hope might disappear, there is always a way. Always a chance of improving your life.
“I first got to know Alex a good few years ago,” says Good Shepherd Key Worker for Housing Advice, Shaz Kaur, who first started supporting Alex in her previous role with P3.
“He had come over from Latvia to try and improve his life and we worked with RMC (the Refugee and Migrant Centre) to help him get settled status as he was working and making a positive contribution to society.
“He was working at a factory in Telford, but after losing his job he couldn’t keep his accommodation and was rough sleeping.
“Eventually he committed a crime and ended up in prison, and he went he came out he was sleeping rough again, by the canal in Wolverhampton.
“His health was suffering by this time, he had lost a lot of weight and was weak, and was struggling with addiction to heroin and crack.
“Fortunately, via P3 we were able to put him in a social services bed that wasn’t being used by the Council, and got him on script with Recovery Near You, to address the addiction.
“And from there he managed to start rebuilding his life.
“Alex is a really likeable character, but anyone who is rough sleeping for any length of time is going to have mental health needs, to become overwhelmed with their situation and suffer from anxiety and depression.
“He also felt he had let himself down, he was hard on himself, because all he wanted to do was work, but he went down the wrong path.
“He is craving normal life, working, being able to live independently, hopefully start a relationship – he just wants to build a better life.”
Alex’s grasp of English is certainly improving. During the conversation he proudly produces his folder of college work, which is updated every week. Trying to better himself and improve his prospects is a big ambition.
But so, too, is the desire to integrate himself back into society.
Paul Burns, the Good Shepherd’s Key Worker for Street Homeless Engagement, also started engaging with Alex and encouraged him to come along to the meaningful activity groups.
Weekly walks, fishing trips and emotions groups allowed Alex to become comfortable opening up to others, building trust, and continuing to improve his prospects.
“Getting Alex back into a workable situation where he could get on script and address his addiction has been vital,” says Paul.
“He really wanted to develop, and it was about a year ago that he first started engaging with the Good Shepherd, and once he started coming to groups, he really began to flourish.
“His English has started to improve, and being able to get the placement in college has been another big step because he is now thriving in that environment.
“He has been volunteering at the Good Shepherd, and has another job application in to work in a factory.
“The more we can do to engage with Alex the better, to keep him busy and give him a purpose.”
Alongside his volunteering and college studies, Alex also aims to improve his mental and physical health with exercise, going swimming and to the gym. Money now is spent on ‘nice things’, and not drugs.
It has been a long and hard road, but he is working hard, to try and arrive at his destination.
“There was a time when everything got out of control for me, all I would do was sleep or want drugs,” he admits.
“When you are homeless, when you have nothing, drugs become a coping mechanism, just to keep you going.
“But it’s never something you want to do, I always wanted to change, and I can only thank all the different people who have helped me to change.
“They have given me a new start, and given me hope, and that’s so important when you haven’t had any before.
“I am enjoying going to college, doing the numbers and getting better at English, and I love coming to volunteer at the Good Shepherd.”
It is 12 years since Alex first arrived in England from Latvia, although he did return home for a spell in the middle.
Although away from family, he feels he is in the right place to work, rebuild his life and contribute to society.
And with his attitude and willingness to help others as well as improve himself, his heart is in the right place as well.