One day, Pauly was hit with reality – he was an adult who had nothing. He had kids he loved but his lifestyle meant they couldn’t depend on him. He had no home, no job, and no money to his name. At that point he realised, it was up to him to do something about it, so he did.
“It’s a big thing to reach out for help like I did but I came to a time in my life
where I looked at myself and asked, ‘Is this what you want to do and who you want to be for the rest of your life?’ Especially at my age and when I’ve got kids. I love those kids but if I wanted them as an ongoing part of my life, something needed to change.”
Pauly met with Sue, a Tenancy Manager from Visionwest’s Canterbury Housing team. Within a week, he went from living in a hotel with nowhere else to go, to being in his own Visionwest house.
“Moving into this accommodation really boosted my confidence and motivated me to buck up my ideas. I was determined not to waste this opportunity.”
Shortly after moving into his Visionwest home, Pauly looked across the road and saw a Mad Bucher outlet. Because he’d had some butchery experience, he wandered over and asked if they had any vacancies. To his surprise, he was offered a job on the spot.
Now, for the first time in many years, Pauly is able to say with conviction that he is proud of himself and his accomplishments.
“I can’t believe I’ve come to this place in my life. I now have somewhere nice to live, and my kids come over and see someone positive and good, not someone under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Finally, I’m a role model for them, someone they can aspire to be.”
When he’s asked about the future, Pauly talks about spending more time with his children and being a good father.
“Who wants a dad who sits around and does nothing? I couldn’t even give them advice about life. I mean, they would look and me and think, ‘What do you know?’ Now I’m different. My life is transformed. I am someone – I’m a dad my kids can be proud of.”