Hi, I’m Mark*
Family, food, good times. That’s what I expect Christmas to be this year, but it’s not always been like that.
I’ve spent Christmas homeless. I’ve spent Christmas in prison. I’ve spent Christmas feeling completely alone.
For years, addiction took almost everything from me. It took my home, my confidence and my future. But the hardest thing was what it did to my family.
For a while, the only family I really had was what I’d call a ‘drug family’. People united by addiction, all caught up in the same lifestyle. At the time, it felt like belonging, but we weren’t helping each other move forwards. We were helping each other stay stuck.
Three years ago, my recovery journey began.
Then Launchpad gave me something many people take for granted: a home.
Just having somewhere safe to sleep changed everything.*
A home changes everything. At Christmas and all year round.
It gave me stability. It gave me a chance to breathe. And it gave me the foundation I needed to start rebuilding my life.
The support didn’t stop there. Launchpad believed in me when I didn’t always believe in myself.
Today, I’m sober, rebuilding my future and reconnecting with the people I love.
But the thing that means the most?
My dad believes in me again.
Having my family around me has made recovery so much quicker and easier.
This Christmas, I’ll be sitting down with people who care about me. I’ll be looking forward to the future instead of worrying about the next day.
I’m so grateful for everyone at Launchpad who helped make that possible.
If you can, please donate today and help someone else find a place to call home.
*Whilst we’ve changed Mark’s name to protect his identity, this is his story, in his words.