David, aged 72 from Newtown, lives alone and has been feeling quite depressed. David has been struggling with his money, in particular to pay for his gas and electric, and has difficulty reading and writing. David used to spend more time out and about, but because of lockdown, he has to spend his time inside, by himself.
“I used to walk around a lot, but as I say this lockdown you can’t do anything. I just watch tv with my cat.”
David spoke to the council for advice about what he was going through, and they put him in touch with Listen and Connect. We started speaking to David back in August 2020 and were able to provide him with food and clothing parcels from our organisation. We also connected him to other organisations that could help his
situation, including an adult education course to develop his reading and writing, and the Witton Centre for help with his gas and electric. He hasn’t been able to access the support he needs yet because of lockdown, but he plans to reach out to them once it is over.
At Christmas, we gave David a call to see how he was doing and arranged for him to receive one of our Christmas Treat Bags – thoughtful gifts made up of donations. In his Christmas Treat Bag, David received a hot water bottle that has provided him some comfort during these colder months.
“She sent me a Christmas treat bag. She sent me a hot water bottle through, my little hot water bottle is in a felt bag. I take that to bed every night and it keeps warm at night and day.”
David said he was ‘overwhelmed with what you’ve done for me’. But the most important thing for David was having someone friendly to chat to and someone who was there for him during these difficult times.
“They listen, they care, and they’re understanding. There was somebody at the other end of the phone if I wanted it, if I was getting depressed with it. There was somebody to help me with food. There was somebody always there for me.”
