Music fan Kaci has been a guest with us here at Shelter from the Storm for three months. In common with so many of our guests Kaci’s main priority is finding employment. He came to us voluntarily as he finds the atmosphere in the shelter helps to him to focus, along with giving him a sense of calm, a sense of security.

We’ve helped him write his CV and provided him with access to a counsellor, although, truth be told, he wishes we had more showers (we only have the two!). Kaci would like to be a police officer or, alternatively, sell gourmet street food. What’s most important to him is that he’s outside and gets to work with people in the community.

Macala’s mother has suffered from bipolar disorder all Macala’s life. Macala is 25. Although Macala’s mother took medication, this was not always adequate or effective – in the past, Macala was able to stay with relatives or friends if the relationship between mother and daughter became fraught.

Earlier this year however, Macala’s mother suffered a manic episode so severe that Macala was forced to leave her family home in Enfield. With nowhere to stay, Macala contacted Eaves and they provided her with emergency shelter in Enfield before referring her to Shelter from the Storm. Macala joined us in mid January, returning to a part of London well known to her in her childhood – her grandfather lived in Angel.

Initially she was nervous about her employment prospects but a month after settling in to the shelter she found work in West London. She enjoys her new job, and the company of her colleagues, considerably. Next week Macala will move into a room in North London. She is excited about the move and looking forward to decorating her new bedroom. Recently Macala reestablished contact with her mother and they are taking tentative steps towards rebuilding their relationship.

Margaret is 62. “But everybody tells me I look younger”, she says. She came to London 25 years ago from Poland, where she’d worked as a German translator.

She began by studying English, initially planning to return home. However, she stayed on, working in pubs and cafés, cleaning and looking after children. “I’ve always liked London”, she says: “I used to go out a lot, to plays and concerts.” But as the economic climate worsened, work dried up. She could no longer afford her room and became homeless: “I spent five weeks at Victoria coach station, sleeping sitting up”, she says, shuddering as she’s now been at SFTS for several months and cherishes having a bed: “After losing it all and being out on the street, you appreciate everything here”, she says: “The shelter is like a university of life — you have time to learn to cope and to get to know yourself better.

She hopes to find work and become independent again. “I’m still around and my brain works”, she laughs. She’d like to use her languages or work with children. Another dream is to travel to Nepal, or somewhere in South America: “I was born in the mountains, so I love climbing and trekking.

Margaret says she used to see the downside, even when good things happened. But that’s changed since arriving at the shelter. “When you’re down, you have no choice”, she says, “I’ve never been so positive in my life”.

Angel can generally be found sitting quietly at the shelter, drawing. At 37, he’s been living in the UK for nine months – and at Shelter from the Storm, just a month. He’s Bulgarian, but moved here from Athens where he lived with his Afghani boyfriend and ran a successful hairdressing studio until the economy turned.

He loves England and moved here because he felt ostracised in his homeland because of his sexuality. While his mother understands and loves him, his family find it difficult to relate to him, still wondering why he isn’t married with children.  He claims he has nothing there and was constantly depressed: he moved to find a better life in England.

Now that he’s at the shelter, he’s continuing English lessons and has made some nice friends there.  He enjoys his new home but is hoping for his own soon. He’s just found a job as a hairdresser and when he describes it, his face lights up with such warmth. Slowly, he’s starting to rebuild his life.

At 67, Henry is an English citizen, a veteran of the Vietnam war, a gardener, and an avid reader, with gentle eyes and a gentler American drawl from decades spent abroad. He returned to England ten weeks ago and has been homeless ever since.

There is no anger in his voice as he tells his story, though he deserves to be angry; he blames no one, though he could. He is simply confused that after ten weeks of homelessness he is no closer to having his own bed. “I don’t want anything fancy,” he adds, “but some days you want to sleep in, don’t want to wake up so early and wander around without your own spot.” The wandering has been even harder since a bus accident that put him in hospital for a month, pinched several nerves in his back, and continues to cause him pain even as he sits quietly with his coffee.

With no access to the veteran’s benefits he receives from America, and no help with housing from the  council, Shelter from the Storm is his only home.

Kumar*, 29, had been living at the shelter for over three months.  Before being referred to the shelter, he’d been on the streets for six months, trying to find a job.  Having worked in the hotel industry and, for a brief stint, in bingo halls, he had wanted to shift careers to one more suited to his masters degree in IT from the University of Westminster.

After two years of trying to find a suitable role, he had run out of money to pay his rent. With nowhere else to turn, he stayed on the streets using buses in central London as his main place to sleep. After a chance meeting, he found out about Shelter from the Storm and was able to stay.

He found his first IT-related role in late February and is thoroughly enjoying it.  He’s now saved up a deposit and will shortly be moving into his own accommodation.

*Not his real name

Anthony, 45, was born in the UK, but left with his family for Nigeria when he was five.  He came back here when he was 18.

I came to the Shelter in September (2011).  Last May I was living in Bermondsey but couldn’t afford the rent so had to move out.  For the following five months, I was all over the place – using any savings I had to stay in hostels or anywhere.  By September I’d run out of money.  I had nowhere to go.  Without Shelter from the Storm I honestly don’t know where I’d be.  If you can’t sleep anywhere, or don’t get food, you can’t even think about getting a job and helping yourself.

The shelter gave me the chance to collect myself – I didn’t have to worry about where my next meal was coming from.  If it hadn’t been for here I could be dead, especially when you think about how cold it’s been recently.  Since coming to the shelter, I’ve managed to get a job doing administration and book keeping for a movie company. They’re going to make me permanent staff next month, which is cool.  And I’ve got a flat near Catford that I’m moving into soon as well.  I will miss the shelter, but I can’t wait to get my own room and my own space.  I would love to come back as a volunteer one day.  I want to give something back.  I might give myself a few months break though!