How the Salvos helped rebuild the lawn-mower man’s life
- 9 hours ago
- 4 min read
BY HANNAH BRABROOK
Nearly 20 years ago, Nathan Stafford walked through the doors of The Salvation Army’s Foster House in Sydney at one of the lowest points in his life.
Homeless, battling addiction and facing the prospect of jail, Nathan couldn’t see a way forward.
Today, he is a devoted husband and father, a successful businessman, and a social media personality known for travelling around Australia mowing lawns for free and helping people in need. Most people know him as ‘the lawn-mower man’ – the guy behind Nathan’s Lawns and Gardens.
But Nathan is quick to acknowledge that his life could have turned out very differently.
Returning to Foster House recently, Nathan reflected on the role the Salvos played in helping him rebuild his life.
“I lived in this place just over 20 years ago,” Nathan said. “I was homeless, doing some silly stuff, and I came into here before getting my life on track. I spent about three months in here. I’m very grateful for this place.”
Walking back through the doors brought back powerful memories.
“It brings back a lot of memories today of where I was then to where I am now,” he said. “They do a remarkable job here.”
Nathan recalls being in a desperate state when he first arrived at Foster House.
“Not good,” he said. “I was looking at possibly going to jail, or I was up at a bridge going, ‘I don’t want to be here anymore.’ That’s the reality.”
A chance encounter led him to The Salvation Army. Someone he met on the street gave him a phone number and encouraged him to make contact. At first, he resisted.
“I didn’t want to,” Nathan admitted. “Then, eventually, one night I did.”
What happened next changed the course of his life – he met Foster House workers, Salvation Army officers (now retired), Majors Peter and Ruth Dollin.
“She just gave me a hug and said everything was going to be all right,” he said.
“I needed someone that understood,” he said. “They weren’t there to judge me. They were there to explain that there was a better life out there and that I had a really good chance to change and live the life everyone deserves to have.”
During his return visit to Foster House, Nathan was surprised by a video message from the pair.
“We are so proud of you, Nathan,” Ruth said in the message. “We’ve seen you come from being in a very vulnerable space to now being a man, a dad and a lovely husband.”
Overcome with emotion, Nathan described them as “two of the most beautiful people” he has ever met.
Asked what message he would send back to them, Nathan’s response was simple: “I wouldn’t be here without you two. I’m very thankful.”
Nathan believes his story proves the difference one person can make when they choose to believe in someone.
“They saved my life,” he said. “I couldn’t see how I could get out of this, and they just backed me the whole way.”
Today, Nathan is sharing that same sense of hope with others. Through his popular social media channels, he travels across Australia, helping people in need by mowing lawns for free and often providing financial assistance and practical support to those doing it tough.
For him, there is a clear connection between the support he received from The Salvation Army and the way he now chooses to serve others.
“I think it’s very important to give back,” he said. “If you’ve lived the life I did and been able to get back over that line and change, it’s very important to give back and show how grateful you are for it.”
Nathan believes that services like Foster House play a vital role in helping people rebuild their lives and build positive futures.
“I’ve seen firsthand the many people that have come through here who have probably been written off like myself and been able to change their lives.”
Nathan hopes more Australians will get behind services like Foster House so they can continue transforming lives for years to come.
“These places need funding, and they need donations,” he said. “I just hope everyone gets behind them.”
As he walked through Foster House once again, Nathan’s story served as a powerful reminder of the life-changing impact of compassionate support, practical assistance and of people who refuse to give up on others.
Sometimes, all it takes is one person to believe in someone. For Nathan, that belief changed everything.
Hannah Brabrook works as a Media Relations Officer with The Salvation Army. She was part of the team that created the recent Channel 7 TV Special ‘The Shield that Changes Lives’. Watch here
