{"id":28753,"date":"2020-11-30T04:17:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-29T23:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/10.101.250.8\/news-and-publication\/kerrys-story-artistry-transforms-her-life-and-home\/"},"modified":"2023-09-18T12:01:47","modified_gmt":"2023-09-18T02:01:47","slug":"kerrys-story-artistry-transforms-her-life-and-home","status":"publish","type":"news-and-publication","link":"https:\/\/www.wesleymission.org.au\/news-and-publications\/stories-of-hope\/kerrys-story-artistry-transforms-her-life-and-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Kerry\u2019s story: artistry transforms her life and home"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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You wouldn\u2019t realise from first glance, but just five weeks prior, when Kerry first moved into her new home, her immaculately decorated apartment was sparse.<\/p>

At the time, 57-year-old Kerry owned little furniture. But Kerry was just relieved to have a roof over her head. For the last 12 months Kerry experienced homelessness.<\/p>

While Kerry finally has a safe place to live, she desired to have a home she could be proud to call her own. Kerry longed for her apartment to feel homely, filled with furniture, d\u00e9cor and personal items that are close to her heart. So, she searched Gumtree for free or low-cost furnishings.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Kerry\u2019s artistic flair then came to life. Piece by piece Kerry has created a home for herself, styled to her own taste. And it\u2019s a remarkable transformation in such a small timeframe. Hues of white, gold and silver work perfectly together. From her white Hamptons coffee table, to her matching cushions and scenic wall-art, Kerry\u2019s eye for design is clearly a talent.<\/p>

Emotion stirs in Kerry\u2019s voice as she begins telling her journey towards making a new home. \u201cBecause I didn’t have anything for a year, I just wanted to have my comforts again, my colours. I just wanted to have nice things and appreciate them. It makes you feel better. It just makes you proud that you’re getting there.\u201d<\/p>

For a long time Kerry didn\u2019t feel safe. For years this mother-of-two experienced an abusive relationship. When Kerry\u2019s boys were young, she found the courage to leave and build a new life for her children.<\/p>

\u201cI worked hard for my boys. I just wanted them to achieve everything in life that I didn’t achieve,\u201d Kerry shares.<\/p>

Kerry lived in her ex-mother-in-law\u2019s garage with her two boys all while battling a difficult court case, which resulted in large financial losses. Kerry\u2019s story is all too common. A single mother who chose to stay at home with her children instead of working, was now left with minimal finances for her family\u2019s future.<\/p>

For the next 14 years Kerry rented a home in Sydney\u2019s inner south. To provide for her family, Kerry found a stable job. And for seven of those years, Kerry\u2019s grandmother, who also lived with them, provided rent support.<\/p>

For a while, life was good. But just as Kerry began to feel safe, tragedy struck. Kerry was bullied in the workplace and consequently, injured her shoulder at work. The pain from her shoulder injury led to sleepless nights and ultimately unemployment.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cI hurt myself there, physically and mentally. After that, I was never really the same again and I lost my confidence,\u201d she shares.<\/p>

\u201cI tried to stay on the job while I was injured and I think that made matters worse. My health and mental health deteriorated. I just crashed after that and I haven’t worked since. It took a lot away from me and I\u2019ve never been able to get back up again.\u201d<\/p>

While Kerry received workers compensation payments, it was never enough. The loss of wages eventually took its toll. Kerry\u2019s rent skyrocketed from $450 to $700 per week. And after Kerry\u2019s grandmother passed away, suddenly Kerry was further out of pocket. Still supporting her youngest son through university, Kerry needed to source additional rental income so she could survive.<\/p>

Initially, Kerry managed the payments by renting rooms to either family members or university students. In the short-term Kerry managed to get by. But the final blow came when the owners requested to move back into their property. Suddenly Kerry had no home.<\/p>

Unable to manage $700 weekly payments on her own, Kerry struggled to re-enter the rental market. Traumatised from her past experiences of abuse at home and in the workplace, Kerry was worried about her safety. Sadly, she couldn\u2019t find an affordable place to rent where she felt safe.<\/p>

Kerry ended up on the streets. She bounced from friend\u2019s couches to refuges. And she continued to feel unsafe.<\/p>

Tears well up in Kerry\u2019s eyes as she shares her experience of being homeless. \u201cI was scared. I didn’t know where I was going, whose place I was going to. I felt embarrassed, I felt ashamed. I felt like a loser.\u201d<\/p>

But that all changed when Kerry met Patrick, a Wesley Mission caseworker. \u201cHe was the kindest, most helpful person. I just built up this rapport with him,\u201d she says. \u201cIf I didn’t have him, I don’t know where I be today.\u201d<\/p>

Just after Christmas 2019, Kerry received a phone call from Patrick that altered the course of her life. Thanks to Wesley Community Housing, Kerry now has a place to call home in south-east Sydney.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cI just said yes straight away. I didn’t want to look. I couldn’t do it anymore. Because of my injured shoulder and poor sleeping patterns, I needed a bed,\u201d says Kerry. \u201cBut I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it.\u201d<\/p>

When Kerry first left behind her home of 14 years, she said goodbye to her furniture and many personal items. Rebuilding her life again hasn\u2019t been easy, Kerry says. But knowing the struggle Kerry was facing to rebuild her home, Patrick quickly organised a bed base, mattress and washing machine. Wesley Mission also gave Kerry food vouchers.<\/p>

\u201cWhen I left my place, I had to get rid of all my stuff because I couldn’t afford the storage. So, it’s like starting all over again with furniture. But I’ve nearly there and I’m starting to feel good about it,\u201d she shares.<\/p>

Sitting on her modern grey couch, Kerry is now surrounded by homely comforts. She finally feels safe. The bars on her windows provide a sense of relief. And she no longer fears for her life.<\/p>

\u201cIt was Wesley Mission that picked me up and helped me, held me by my hand and got me through this,\u201d Kerry says.<\/p>

\u201cI cannot thank Wesley Mission enough. I feel safe. I’ve got a lovely neighbour downstairs. I just feel like I can breathe again. I think you really appreciate what people do for you when you have nothing.\u201d<\/p>

And while Kerry feels safe in her own home, she recognises she\u2019s still on a journey towards building her confidence to embrace life.<\/p>

\u201cI was never a homebody. I was just full of life and out there and enjoying life. But I’ve done a whole 360 degree. I’m a homebody. I’ll go to the shops early in the morning when there’s no one and I’ll go to my friend’s place when I feel safe.\u201d<\/p>

Kerry says she\u2019s thankful to have a community who now surrounds her as she walks the next chapter of her journey. Downstairs lives her friendly neighbour, who she checks in with daily and often drops by with a meal. Kerry has also rekindled her passion for gardening thanks to Wesley Community Housing Officer, Liesa.<\/p>

Liesa regularly organises gardening days run by the Royal Botanic Gardens. Kerry enjoys the tranquillity gardening brings and the ability to access fresh herbs and vegetables for cooking.<\/p>

When the coronavirus (COVID-19) surfaced, Kerry continued to revive her gardening hobby, spending more time in her complex\u2019s community botanical haven.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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And while Wesley Community Housing are unable to host barbeques and gardening days for Kerry\u2019s community, due to COVID-19, Liesa found creative ways to keep their community blossoming. Donated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Liesa delivered several planter boxes to Kerry\u2019s complex for her community to grow more fresh vegetables.<\/p>

As Kerry\u2019s confidence continues to grow, telling her story is a big step in her journey towards a brighter future. She hopes her story can help dispel myths about older women facing homelessness. For Kerry, sudden changes to her life\u2019s circumstances led towards homelessness. And Kerry wants her narrative to create awareness about the growing issue of homelessness for older women.<\/p>

\u201cI think a lot of people out there don’t understand that any woman in my situation could end up in the same place that I have,\u201d she says.<\/p>

Kerry\u2019s bravery is inspiring for all women who have or are experiencing homelessness.<\/p>

We\u2019ll continue to support Kerry while she remains in transitional housing through Wesley Community Housing, until a permanent home becomes available.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You wouldn\u2019t realise from first glance, but just five weeks prior, when Kerry first moved into her new home, her …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":28754,"parent":29713,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":"","advanced-sidebar-menu\/link-title":"","advanced-sidebar-menu\/exclude-page":true},"ceo-newsletter":[],"move-to-top-of-sidebar":[],"custom-layouts":[680],"exclude-from-nav":[632],"news-and-publications-tags":[629,1067],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2024-05-05 22:13:46","action":"change-status","newStatus":"private","terms":[],"taxonomy":"custom-layouts"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wesleymission.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-and-publication\/28753"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wesleymission.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-and-publication"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wesleymission.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news-and-publication"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.wesleymission.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-and-publication\/28753\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wesleymission.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-and-publication\/29713"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wesleymission.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28754"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wesleymission.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"ceo-newsletter","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wesleymission.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ceo-newsletter?post=28753"},{"taxonomy":"move-to-top-of-sidebar","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wesleymission.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/move-to-top-of-sidebar?post=28753"},{"taxonomy":"custom-layouts","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wesleymission.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/custom-layouts?post=28753"},{"taxonomy":"exclude-from-nav","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wesleymission.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/exclude-from-nav?post=28753"},{"taxonomy":"news-and-publications-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wesleymission.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-and-publications-tags?post=28753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}