Often, at A Way Out Charity, we have the opportunity and honour of hosting visits from our supporters and funders and as part of this have the opportunity to provide a brief tour of our Stockton riverside centre and its facilities.
Without
doubt, the one room that can be the most impactful for these visitors is at the
very centre of the building. This room is
the bathroom, especially designed for the women that we support. You may be wondering
why this room leaves such a memorable impression? After all it's
just a normal bathroom... the same as bathrooms found in many homes, it is
clean, warm and beautifully fitted with everything a woman needs for a relaxing
bath or shower. It could
almost be described as luxurious.
Just hold that thought....
Now imagine
being in a situation where you may not have a stable and permanent place to
live, perhaps 'sofa surfing' – sleeping on the sofa in a friend’s living room- or
constantly moving from one hostel to the next, continually uprooting your
entire life and belongings and moving on from room to room, week by week. In
addition, when money is really tight and purchasing even basics such as food
becomes an issue, expenditure on personal toiletries really is a luxury.
For the
clients with whom we work, the bathroom at A Way Out is available any time of
day during our working hours... and it is used often. A safe and
secure haven of peace and relaxation in an environment that is centred upon
compassion, love and care. A place at
the heart of the building, which allows a private time for reflection, a time
for recovery, a time for decision making, a time to think of positive new directions....
The lives of
many women have been completely changed during their visits to our bathroom
while they contemplate new dreams and resolutions in the
course of a precious soak in a scented bath at A Way Out. An
everyday, simple and basic need is met – with a significant impact. With the extensive support of our A
Way Out case workers, these dreams and resolutions do become reality.
A Way Out can
provide all that the women need when they visit our bathroom, clean towels,
toiletries, soap, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion... thanks to continued kind
donations from supporters. Sometimes the
toiletry supplies run a little low and this is where you can help – a donation
of shower gel or other toiletry items would go a long way to helping us provide
a comfortable environment which could change a life.
