Meet John - Driving For Change Guest

Our Driving for Change buses are life-changing for people who are experiencing homelessness, and John B is a perfect example of this.

After coming to the UK from Romania for a better life and to help his family at home, John stayed with his cousin in London and paid rent with the little money that he earned from his car washing job. When he could no longer afford to live there, he found himself homeless and sleeping on the streets, resorting to alcohol to relieve his depression. Brexit caused him to lose his job and his health deteriorated.

John was referred to DfC by the charity Change Grow Live who were supporting him with housing and substance abuse.

At the DfC bus, John received a haircut and saw the dental nurse, who advised that he had urgent dental treatment for his bleeding gums and loose teeth, most of which would need to be extracted.

Despite refusing treatment over a fear of dentists and needles, John continued to visit the bus in Lewisham every week to chat with, and thank the staff for the support he was given.

After slowly working with our dental nurse Rubi over 6 months, building trust and explaining the procedure, John agreed to the operation!

The dental surgery went well. All of his teeth were extracted and he was fitted with dentures, which has transformed him into a much happier and confident person. Since the surgery, John has begun a job as a chef and continues to visit the bus every week to say thank you and refer people to the service.

Rubilla Javid - dental nurse for DFC said:  "One of the greatest achievements in life is knowing you have the ability to put a smile on someone else's face. Just knowing you have made a difference in their life makes you feel content."