Silent Night, Lonely Night. All is cold, all is dark.

What does Christmas mean to you?

Perhaps it's a time for family reunions, festive feasts and exchanging gifts? But for some, its a time of heightened loneliness with freezing temperatures and dangerous surroundings.

This years Christmas campaign highlights the journey a person can take to becoming homeless. Homelessness isnt a choice, sometimes its the effects of trauma, hardships and tragedy. For Suzanne, it was the effects of many years of domestic abuse.

Suzanne grew up in Edinburgh and lived without stable support from her family. To escape the negative environment she was brought up in, she moved away with a man who went on to subject her to years of domestic abuse, which was later the reason why she became homeless. After years of living on the streets, Suzanne started coming to the Archer Project and has since made huge changes to her life. She now works at the project in the paid position of Progression Support Worker.

In 2019 Suzanne nearly lost her life to a rare disease called Calciphylaxis. She was placed in the palliative care unit and doctors didnt think she would make it through, but against all odds she did.

She now has a home that she shares with her partner and their dog Brad, and lives a happy and fulfilled life.

Please support our Christmas Campaign and help more people like Suzanne move from sleeping bag to employment.