Wearing a signature cyan Wesley Mission wristband and mingling with fellow tenants and team members, Felix is at peace in his Sydney southwest Wesley Community Housing home.
His larger-than-life personality and infectious smile have endeared him to his community, and he’s a fixture at community engagement events. However, his journey towards finding his place in the community wasn’t without its challenges.
Unexpected kindness
“I didn’t know much about Wesley [Mission] and all this until I got homeless,” he says. “And then I’m really grateful people like this exist, man.
“I didn’t know things like this existed. I really didn’t. I thought, ‘Okay, little bit of help here and there’. But I didn’t know. It’s so good.”
Felix was referred to Wesley Community Housing by a St Vincent de Paul caseworker when he was staying in a refuge. Usually only allowing three-month stays, the Covid-19 pandemic meant Felix stayed at the refuge for six months.
At the first opportunity, Felix accompanied his caseworker to look at a unit with Wesley Community Housing. That was almost four years ago, and Felix hasn’t looked back since.
“All these guys are really down to earth. Especially, they know when you’re down and they can help. They’ll go out of their way to do whatever they can do. That’s what really gets to me the most. They don’t have nothing to them, but yet they’ll still [do] what my family wouldn’t do.
“People, they don’t realise how much a little bit of help when people in situations like us, it goes long way.”
Finding family
For Felix, the essence of building a stronger bond with his neighbours lies in shared experiences. Through these experiences, they develop compassion – something many of them struggled with in the past.
“When you do go through something like that and there’s no one there, it just hurts even more,” he says. “Just that little bit of help. It matters a lot, man.
“I was very family oriented and when I lost everything, it was like I got a family. You can tell people are genuine.”
Felix and his fellow tenants have also formed a strong connection with the Wesley Community Housing team. They eagerly await their visits and cherish the opportunity to catch up and connect with them.
“We talk about [visits],” he continues. “We look forward to it. We wait for that.
“The main thing is companionship. The loneliness, man, you can go crazy. You got to have people to talk to.”
Liesa, a Community Engagement Lead with Wesley Community Housing, recalls one evening she stopped by and saw Felix and other tenants chatting together under the warm glow of the lights. It was a heart-warming moment for her.
“I felt so blessed that night that I came and saw that,” she says. “I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, how lovely is this?’.
As the community grows and thrives, Liesa says she’s thrilled to connect with tenants and provide opportunities for them to engage with each other and Wesley Mission.
“A lot of the guys used to tell me that people only come out when I’m here. But I think as time’s gone on, people warm up. It’s exciting to see.”
Knowing help is on hand
Felix is aware that there are still hurdles to overcome, but having faith and being surrounded by his chosen family makes life a little easier. Even receiving chocolate muffins from Wesley Community Housing team members like Liesa brings him joy.
“It’s those little things that make us happy,” he says. “You don’t need big things. It’s those little things that count.
“[Today], I was going through something emotional and thinking, ‘should I go down and talk to you guys?’.
“It’s the best sometimes when everyone’s just sitting there, just having a chat. You don’t have to force. That’s the best thing about it here.”