Roy’s Story: Working hard, staying hopeful, and wanting to give back 

A fresh start built on hard work

When Roy arrived in Australia from New Zealand in 2002, he came looking for opportunity.

He brought with him years of experience as a dairy farmer and a strong work ethic. He was ready to work, and not afraid of long days or physical labour.

“I was on the streets when I first came over, and I got a job on a dairy farm… and I worked there for three years,” he recalls.

For Roy, work meant stability. A roof over his head. A sense of purpose.

But when the work ended, that stability disappeared.

Always moving, always trying

Roy and his partner Ann spent years moving across the country, following any opportunity they could find.

From Western Australia to regional Victoria, they travelled from town to town, taking on whatever work was available. When jobs came up, they went. When they ended, they moved on again.

When opportunities were scarce, Roy did everything he could to give himself a chance.

At times, that meant sleeping outside workplaces just to be first in line for a job the next morning.

“I’ve got to work hard to make money… I’ve got no other way,” he says.

That determination never left him.

When work disappears, everything does

For Roy, losing a job didn’t just mean losing income. It meant losing his home.

“If you lose your job, you lose your house,” he says.

As a migrant, he faced an even harsher reality. Without access to government support, there was no safety net to fall back on.

“Unless you’ve got family here… you face a pretty harsh reality,” he explains.

Finding work without a fixed address made things even harder.

During this time, Roy experienced homelessness more than once, learning quickly how to survive on the streets. Sleeping on grass meant being woken by sprinklers in the early hours of the morning. Finding a safer place often meant moving to shopfronts, where there was light and a little more security.

Even then, safety was never guaranteed. Without a stable place to rest or keep belongings, every night required decisions about where it was safest to sleep.

Still, Roy kept going.

A life built together

In the middle of that uncertainty, Roy met his partner Ann.

“I went to a church thing for food… and I met Ann,” he says.

Together, they built a life based on resilience and adaptability.

They lived in a caravan, knowing it would always give them somewhere to return to, even when everything else felt uncertain.

“We knew we were going to be homeless… so we had the caravan,” Roy says.

When life changed again

After years of relying on physical work, Roy’s life changed suddenly when he suffered a stroke.

For someone who had always depended on his body to earn a living, it was a difficult shift.

“It’s harder to make money now,” he says.

Some weeks there was a little income. Other weeks, none at all.

They relied on Ann’s income and whatever Roy could manage in between.

Even so, Roy’s focus remained the same. Keep going. Keep trying.

Finding support and a way forward

After connecting with CatholicCare Victoria (CCV), things began to change.

“And then we got into CatholicCare… it wasn’t long before we got the house,” Roy says.

For the first time in a long time, there was stability.

The support extended beyond housing.

For the first time in over 20 years, Roy began seeing a doctor.

“For 23 years I hadn’t seen a doctor… I’ve only just started now,” he says.

He’s been supported to attend appointments, access food, and manage his health following the stroke.

Ann has also received support, including working towards getting her licence, helping them both build independence and stability.

Rebuilding connection and confidence

After years of moving and surviving day to day, Roy is beginning to reconnect with others.

Through the CatholicCare Homelessness Advisory Team (CCHAT), he is sharing his lived experience and connecting with people who understand.

“It’s not just about being homeless. It’s about the life experience,” he says.

That sense of connection matters.

Because when you’ve spent years just getting through each day, rebuilding a sense of belonging takes time.

Looking ahead and giving back

Even now, Roy is thinking beyond his own situation.

He wants to see better options for people who have nowhere to go. Safe places where people can sleep, especially in winter.

And one day, if he had the chance, he has a bigger vision.

“If we had the chance… we’d open a farm and help people doing it tough,” he says.

It’s a simple idea, but it reflects who he is. Someone who has experienced hardship, and still wants to create something for others.

Listening to lived experience

Roy is clear about what needs to change.

He believes that people making decisions need to hear directly from those who have lived it.

“We’re not all the same,” he says.

For Roy, homelessness is not one story. It is many different experiences, shaped by circumstance, access to support, and opportunity.

“Maybe if they gained some knowledge… they wouldn’t want to become homeless,” he says.

“Because it’s not an easy life being homeless.”

A quiet kind of resilience

Roy’s story is not loud.

It’s steady. Grounded in hard work, persistence, and care for others.

It’s about showing up, even when things are uncertain. Adapting when life changes. And continuing to move forward, no matter what.

And even now, after everything he has faced, Roy is not just thinking about his own future.

He’s thinking about how things could be better for others.