Streetsheet
Stories, poems and pictures by Big Issue vendors and friends
I was able to feel proud and confident enough to look for work again. MICHAEL, MELBOURNE BIG ISSUE CLASSROOM’S
MICHAEL
Peer Support
06
THEBIGISSUE.ORG.AU
I
never expected to be where I am now. The unexpectedness is the same as when I became homeless, though the emotions are vastly different. The pathway to homelessness was gradual for me – a slip up here, a misstep there – and the pathway towards where I stand today was gradual too. I can pinpoint where it got better: it was when I was at my lowest, and I asked for help. I let someone into my world and they took me seriously. It was my job agency, my case manager, who showed me I had options, including school. At 30, the prospect sounded preposterous, but I had nothing left to lose. So I studied a Certificate in Mental Health and a Certificate in Alcohol & Other Drugs, and just like high school, I made friends. One friend worked at The Big Issue Classroom. They took me to the offices in Melbourne and I got a speaker role in the Classroom enterprise, talking to primary and high school children about the stigmas, stereotypes and realities of homelessness.
I gained confidence. I felt a part of a team. There are Christmas lunches, coworkers to chat with and other activities, such as the Street Soccer program. It gave me opportunities. I’m now 35 years old, and I still do those Classroom talks – though at a less common frequency – because I was building my resumé again. I was able to put down that I had a job; I was able to put down references; I was able to feel proud and confident enough to look for work again. For almost two years now, I have worked in a hospital as a peer-support worker. When people come to the emergency department and they’re facing difficult times that are similar to what I had experienced, I talk to them and share my past, and show them that there is still hope. The road to this moment was gradual, but I am glad I was honest with someone. Through that, I was able to achieve all that I have and rebuild my life into what it is today. MICHAEL IS EMPLOYED AS A BIG ISSUE CLASSROOM SPEAKER IN MELBOURNE.
A Pet’s Life I love to be a pet where I can stay at home. I hate to be a pet where I have no freedom. I love to be a pet that can be cuddled up to when you get home. I hate to be a pet who has to wait all day to be fed. I love to be a pet that can travel places. I hate to be a pet who has to be looked after by an unknown stranger. I love to be a pet that fits into a family. I hate to be a pet that has to be abandoned. If you have pets, no matter what size they are, give them love and support. DAVID L SUBI FARMERS MARKET I PERTH