My name is John,. I am 42 and have been homeless now for five months. Before that time, I was comfortably housed, in the home of my choosing. I had been disabled for twenty years by a left shoulder that would dislocate at any attempt, deliberate or otherwise, to raise my left arm above shoulder height. This would always be followed by a visit to hospital, to have it 'reduced' followed by three weeks of torment, having my arm strapped in a sling.

At Jimmy's (St. James' Hospital - Leeds), a fine doctor took a piece of my hip and fixed my shoulder. A near miracle to my life which I shall remain grateful for, no matter what torment it may bring.

After the operation I had to keep the sling on for six weeks before starting physiotherapy. Just weeks after the operation a D.S.S. doctor called me in and declared me fit for work.

I was informed that I must sign on the dole to gain the wherewithal to live, but they wouldn't sign me, as I couldn't work and do my two hourly physiotherapy exercises, and my daily visits to the therapist. So I was told that I must appeal if I wanted to continue receiving any benefit. For five weeks I sought to survive, as my burden of debt grew, but when the quarterly gas and electric bills came, I had no way to meet my share of them, and when the landlord asked me to pay, I couldn't. I moved away, believing naively that work and accommodation would be a formality to find, but I soon learnt the sad reality of a homeless person seeking work, and a worthless person seeking a home. I yet struggle on without benefit of a wife and after years of painful torment, hoped for some reprieve in this life. I had the good fortune to move to Chichester with St. Jo's night refuge and its Christian day centre, which means I never know hunger, save at weekends. The local Catholic Church is usually caring enough to provide a sandwich and hot drink, though the last two Sundays they had ran out of sandwiches and had no money when I asked for a bite to eat. I had thought that a priest owed me love but he verged on being happy to inform me that he couldn't help. Thank you for a vehicle for my feeble tale of plight. I was needing to scream at someone.

John Pestill

. Material Copyright © 1997 THOMAS (Those on the Margins of a Society)
THOMAS is an integral part of Catholic Welfare Societies, Registered Charity number 503102