What it's like to face losing your home

When Vi Wood's husband of 30 years lost his battle with lung cancer, her whole world fell apart.

Then just four days after his death, she suffered another crushing blow.

Vi and her family were told they were at risk of losing their home. They were left with no one to turn to for financial help and unable to pay their bills.

"Every day I would get up crying because I was so full of grief and so angry. I was terrified we were going to lose our home. I didn't know where to turn to. There seemed no easy answer.

"There was no money for bills or for rent and I was told if I couldn't pay my rent I would be evicted," says the 57-year-old.

She discovered that, as a German national, she was now subject to immigration control meaning she was unable to claim for housing benefit or any other financial help without proving that she had been working in this country for five years.

This proved tricky because for many years she had mostly been an unpaid carer for her husband Leslie, who died in April last year, aged 59.

"I'm German, my husband was English. We spent time in Germany before settling here. That was fine because we were married but as soon as he died it all changed. No one tells you that and suddenly I was asked to prove worker status," explains Vi.

Thankfully, before she had started caring for her husband and during the early stages of her illness, Vi had been employed as a cleaner by a dentist.

It left Vi with a race against time to track him down, as he had since retired from the practice.

"I didn't want to bother him but I had no choice. Thankfully he was able to confirm that I had worked for him and this was enough. I was granted worker status making me eligible for housing benefit and it was backdated.

"I also got my dream job as a care giver for elderly people so I had money coming in. But for five months I didn't know what was going to happen and I faced being homeless," explains Vi.

The mother of seven was unable to forget how close her family had come to losing their home and it left her with a new understanding for those out on the streets.

"I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I never, ever thought I would come so close to losing my home. Never in a million years did I think I could become homeless. It shows it can happen to anyone and so quickly. Within a second life could change in an instant.

"A lot of people think that if someone is homeless then they have done something wrong or they haven't done enough but there are so many reasons why someone loses their home. It's never straight forward," she adds.

Her experiences moved her to set up a charitable organisation in August last year to help homeless people and others who are struggling to make ends meet - all in memory of her late husband.

Leslie's Care Packages delivers vital provisions such as food, toiletries, sleeping bags, and clothing directly to those who need them the most.

Vi makes up care packages and goes looking for people sleeping rough in the Black Country to help. She also contacts organisations in the community that know who will benefit from extra support, such as Summit House Support in Dudley and Loaves 'n' Fishes in Blackheath as well as responding to direct requests for assistance.

"My husband always wanted to help the homeless and I was grieving so much that I wanted to do something to keep his memory alive.

"I can't say how many people I've helped because I don't like to think of them as numbers. I know I've helped rough sleepers, young mothers, couples that are expecting their first child, people who have got a small flat but nothing in it and people on low incomes that are just struggling because of their bills.

"I can understand because my bills are going up all the time. There are also the 'hidden homeless' - those that have no permanent address but stay with friends or sleep on the street some nights.

"There is no waiting list for Leslie's Care Packages, we go straight out there to help. The homeless are very grateful and will only take something if they need it. They don't just take it because it's free.

"I want to raise awareness of homelessness because it really can happen to anyone and homeless people need our help, not us looking down our noses at them or judging them," says Vi.

As well as taking in donations, she also holds fundraising events to generate cash to buy food and other supplies.

On September 9, Vi will host a 'a bring and share meal' at St Thomas' Church Hall in Stourbridge from 4pm which will feature live music and a tombola.

Through her Facebook page, she keeps supporters updated on how their donations have made a difference in the community.

"I want it to be totally transparent. I want people who donate to know exactly where their donations have gone and who has benefited," says Vi, who was named as a runner-up in the Mayor of Dudley's Civic Awards in March.

She tells us she has been overwhelmed by the generosity of supporters and has vowed to continue supporting those in need for as long as she can.

"I will carry on as long as there are people who need my help. I still feel very angry at times about what happened to me and that anger that makes more determined to carry on. I know my husband would be proud of what I'm doing too,"adds Vi.

*Anyone wanting to make a donation or volunteer can find out more at www.facebook.com/LesliesCarePackagesfortheHomeless