“Just when the caterpillar thought her life was over, she began to fly.” How Restore residents are like caterpillars.
One of the ‘big wins’ at Restore over the last year or so has been expanding the provision of supported accommodation for female residents. We currently house nine females who would otherwise be homeless, which is the highest number of female residents we’ve ever had at any one time. Most of the activities on offer at Restore are -of course- open to any resident, but Support Worker Patsy hosts a group once a week which is just for the women we support. This is because there are some things that women feel more comfortable sharing in a single-sex environment, and because we felt it was important to provide a space where our female residents could focus on talking to each other and building their relationships with one another.
Each week, Patsy provides snacks, drinks, and an activity. Alongside this, she chairs a discussion around issues that commonly affect our female residents, such as emotional resilience, healthy relationships, and self-worth/confidence. The activity links to the weekly discussion theme, allowing participants to explore and express their emotions honestly and openly in a safe space, without stigma; helping to reduce overwhelm, improve focus and build connection.
One recent example of the work the women’s group have undertaken was a session making butterfly windchimes, whilst they discussed the different phases of their own lives, using the life cycle of a butterfly as a metaphor. The caterpillar stage is what they were like before they came to Restore, and the butterfly stage is who they hope to be when they leave. In-between the two, Restore acts as the chrysalis, cocooning them in a safe, supportive environment whilst they work on their development plans, until they are ready to (as it were) spread their wings and fly.
The title for this blog comes from an old Chinese proverb, but it captures the essence of the work at Restore quite well. Most of our residents – males and females –describe their life pre-Restore as stressful for one reason or another. Indeed, for any person to be at risk of becoming homeless, something pretty stressful must have occurred. Some people come to Restore for reasons which the general public would describe as ‘through no fault of their own’: a relationship breakdown, or job loss, for example. But for residents whose reason for needing the support of Restore is less socially acceptable to the wider population (such as a history of addiction, or being an ex-offender) there is often a perceived stigma attached to their ‘caterpillar’ stage, and they’ve often battled negative assumptions, reactions and preconceptions from other people. Ask any gardener how they view caterpillars and I guarantee it won’t be a positive reaction! ‘Pests’ will be the most common term applied. Sadly, a similar attitude has been demonstrated towards many people who experience homelessness. Rough sleepers are often treated by society as a problem to be eradicated, rather than as human beings worthy of dignity, compassion and support. Likewise, ex-offenders and addicts are viewed with an air of suspicion, the assumption from many people being that ‘a leopard cannot change its spots;’ ironically making it even more difficult for them to do so, because they are not afforded the opportunity to change.
Restore leaves those judgments and preconceptions at the door. We never define anyone by their past, and we believe in the power of second chances. The world may view caterpillars as pests, but we see butterflies in waiting (to continue the analogy). Push a caterpillar off a leaf and it will fall to the floor, because it hasn’t yet grown wings; it cannot fly. The chrysalis stage is crucial to that caterpillar’s chance of reaching its full potential. Likewise, the support provided to an individual during their time living at Restore is crucial to their future. We don’t just provide support to people to help them in the here and now, but the work we do is vital in equipping people with the foundations upon which they can build a successful future, beyond homelessness. In other words: we’re giving them a safe space where they can grow wings to fly.
We cannot continue to work alongside our residents without financial support. When you make a donation to Restore, you are providing that safe cocoon for another person to begin to rebuild their life. You support another individual’s journey to a life beyond homelessness. Although they once thought their life was over, you give them wings to fly. Thank you.