There are 29,000 Australian children like Tilly – without a home, without school, without friends, without pets and without the most magical moments of their childhood.
Another friend, Joe*, lived under a bridge while trying to come to terms with his time in the war. The rehabilitation programs for veterans are legendary among those of us who suffer from debilitating mental illness, but Joe never received any of these programs. Since so many of his old army buddies committed suicide before they could overcome enough hurdles to get the programs they needed, Joe, with pain and disgust, decided against it.
Veteran Joe* lived under this bridge while trying to come to terms with his time at war.Credit: Eva Gallagher
Veterans are three times more likely to be homeless than non-veterans and one-third more likely to commit suicide. And the last time I saw Joe, we were mourning the death of another friend who had taken his own life after years on the streets. When I returned to the bridge a few days later to check on Joe, he was gone.
In his place came Aaron*, who unexpectedly received a disability pension after decades in the construction industry and was suffering from incurable nerve damage and arthritis. When Aaron’s pension was no longer enough to cover the rent, he moved from one threatening accommodation to another until he finally sought refuge in his car.
Aaron is often harassed from morning to night – first by criminal council workers or police officers, then by teenagers who think it’s funny to harass the homeless, and then by drunks on their way home from the pub. What these people don’t know is that Aaron is always looking out for us, calling to check we’re safe if he hasn’t seen us by midday. He often looks after Gerry*, a homeless woman in her eighties. And he has offered to outfit my van, even though he can barely walk some days.
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Many people have asked themselves when caring for the dying, “Why me?” But one of the most important lessons I have learned is, “Why not me?”
None of us are immune to the inevitability of change in this life, and it is futile for any of us to assume we are exceptional, as if we are somehow immune to decay and misfortune. You could be me and I could be you, and there is boundless strength and compassion in our shared humanity.
My friends and I don’t deserve to be homeless, and neither do you. Instead, we deserve compassion, support, and real solutions. And we really need them right now. **
* Names changed.
**If you want to do something about homelessness, you can join organisations like Mission Australia, Launch Housing or Youth Off The Streets. You can also write to your state or federal MP and remind them that housing is a basic human need that every Australian should have, just like healthcare or clean water. Or you can just be kind to us when you see us; it means more than you think.
Jacq Gallagher, her great-niece Olive and her van Eileen, which became a home for the 54-year-old woman.Credit: Eva Gallagher
As Eve Gallagher told, The niece of Jacq Gallagher. Jacq is a 54-year-old woman with multiple disabilities who survived a traumatic childhood and is currently homeless.
If you or someone you know needs support, call Lifeline on 131 114 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.
