For Stacey and many like her, trauma caused by childhood abuse and neglect is the root cause of her homelessness. This Christmas you can help people like Stacey and stop the cycle of homelessness being passed down the generations.
Laying to rest the ghosts of Christmas past
Childhood trauma led Stacey to struggle with her mental health and she turned to substance use in adulthood as a way to cope. Eventually, this led to homelessness and her son was taken into care. She was at rock bottom until she came to Homeless Oxfordshire. With your help this Christmas, we can continue to provide people like Stacey with vital support, to help rebuild their lives.
Help her escape
Christmas past
Find out more
Help her escape
Christmas past
“I didn’t realise at the time, but I experienced abuse and neglect as a child. My mum was an addict and her life was too chaotic to look after herself, let alone me as well. Her boyfriends were often violent and I saw drug use on a daily basis. I remember one Christmas when I was about six being left alone in the house with nothing to eat all day. These experiences stayed with me and in later life I turned to drugs to numb the pain, and sex work to fund my addiction. I had a son who was taken into care, which was devastating. Before long I was homeless with nowhere to turn.”
Help her change
Christmas present
Find out more
Help her change
Christmas present
“I was at rock bottom when I found Homeless Oxfordshire. They gave me a safe place to stay and provided the stability I needed to start accessing support, to face my traumatic childhood and addiction issues. I began to understand why I found life so difficult and how I had ended up homeless. This year will be the first time I can remember celebrating Christmas sober, in a safe place, instead of looking for an escape.”
Help her embrace
Christmas future
Find out more
Help her embrace
Christmas future
“The possibility of building a relationship with my son is what keeps me going. It is my biggest motivation and gives me purpose. My hope is that by next year I will be in a place where I am able to share some of my son’s Christmas day with him and see him opening presents I have bought him with my own money. That would bring me so much joy.”
Although Stacey is not a real person, her story reflects the themes we hear from many women we work with experiencing homelessness.
Feeling safe and supported for Christmas present
This Christmas, Stacey has somewhere warm and safe to stay where she is getting support to overcome addiction and address past trauma. Her Support Worker is helping her learn how to build trusting relationships and how to develop the support network she needs to overcome homelessness. With your help, she hopes that things might be different next Christmas for her and her son.
Hopes for Christmas future
Please help us keep hope alive for people experiencing homelessness – the mothers who want to see their children again, those battling addiction, and those ready for their own place to call home.
We never give up on people, and there is always the potential for hope – especially at this time of year. With your help we can continue to give the gift of hope to people like Stacey this Christmas.

Donate now
Help people like Stacey change their story
