Since knowing about ABC, we have used every service they have. Food, transportation, bus tickets, clothes, stationery, shoes, kitchen appliances and other items, bedding, furniture, toys, plants, books and nappies.
The support reached far beyond practical items. ABC helped provide therapy for my son, and through activities, groups and friendships, helped me rebuild my confidence and improve my mental health. Friendship is the most valuable part I get from ABC. I also learned to ride a bike, joined cooking and dancing activities, attended the women's group, learned to swim, and even started surfing and sea swimming.
With ABC, we started to trust people again and started to believe humanity still exists.
Volunteering in the Free Shop helped both me feel less alone. Hearing others with similar stories gave us hope. For me, volunteering led to paid employment at ABC, public speaking opportunities, and a chance to use my skills again.
Today, although our family still faces challenges and we continue to rely on the Free Shop for additional support for our autistic son, ABC remains an important part of our lives.
We started to live like humans again. We found hope, happiness, love, acceptance, friendship and confidence. We did not have any relatives or friends in Bristol and ABC became our friends. Our children experienced having their uncles and aunties at ABC.
Mehbooba’s Testimonial
When I first came to the UK, I was suffering from fibromyalgia, depression and PTSD. My husband was also very depressed following losing his job. We had one child, were living in a one-bedroom flat, and later claimed asylum because returning to our home country would not have been safe.
When we were dispersed to Bristol, everything felt difficult. We did not know the area, we felt isolated, and we were trying to raise our children while living on very limited support. Our oldest child was struggling, and later both of our older children were diagnosed as autistic, with our younger son being non-verbal.