“They had to cover the floor with rolls of wallpaper and sleep in their clothes to protect them from the previous tenants’ body stains.”
Imagine moving into somewhere so dirty that all the cleaning in the world could not remove the human stains left on the carpet, feeling like the only solution was to lay down wallpaper for protection. Imagine you and your children having to sleep in their clothes and coat, with no money for bed linen to help make the beds clean to sleep in.
This was the case for a Mum and her two girls who, for their own protection, were recently placed in temporary accommodation. Already traumatised by what had happened to cause them to flee, their hearts sunk once more when they saw the state of what should have been their sanctuary. Their studio room with small kitchenette and minimal furniture was filthy!
After the initial shock, Mum, who also suffers from mobility issues, cleaned up as best she could, but this was never going to be good enough. She called her support worker in tears; they had no bedding so were forced to sleep in clothes the night before to act as a barrier between them and the mattresses. They had no funds to buy bed linen and mattress protectors, and on top of all this, she was worried that such living conditions would bring on her youngest’s asthma.
We were urgently contacted by their support worker to see if we could help. We were quick to respond with the requested items and were also able to supply three sets of duvets and pillows, mattress protectors, sheets and blankets. The beds were now clean and protected, ready for a comfortable night’s sleep. Their support worker has been able to secure some rugs to cover over the state of the floor, making it feel much more homely throughout.
On hearing that they were sharing a bathroom, we were also able to include a good supply of toiletries to make this experience more pleasant and keep them going in the weeks ahead. They know that if, and when, the children need clothes, school supplies or anything else, we are here to help.
Mum was moved to tears when she saw what we had provided and expressed her gratitude with this thank you card. A lovely gesture which we wanted to share with you all.
Their support worker also wanted to stress that even though the family have shown great resilience, she really doesn’t know what they would have done without help from Stripey Stork.
We know only too well how help like this can make a big difference when families are living in the most dire of conditions and through circumstances such as these. We have helped many Mums before her and sadly, will need to help many more. But help we will because nobody should have to live like this. And it is thanks to your support that we can.
We wish this family well for the future and hope they settle somewhere more permanent soon. In the meantime, we are pleased we have helped make their temporary home cleaner and more comfortable.
Sweet dreams and sleep well – it’s what they deserve and much more.
