Patricia was living on the streets for nearly six years, living with an alcohol addiction. After a relationship breakdown, she had nowhere else to go, and no other way to cope with the pain.
“I slept on the streets with a sleeping bag for a 6 years. Some nights it was so, so cold.”
But for people like Patricia, getting the right kind of help was extremely difficult. But at Depaul’s Stella Marris she had somewhere safe to live, at last.
“Stella Maris was great, the staff really helped me. They kept me safe – it was like there was a safety net around me.”
“They got me involved with things that I needed and didn’t even know I needed. The likes of an occupational therapist, the likes of physio, phoning doctors for me, getting me in contact with doctors. The doctor’s wouldn’t even give me the time of day, because I was drinking but getting my keyworker to do it for me – they listened, people actually listened.”
Through Depaul, Patricia was not only helped – she was seen, she was heard and she was understood.
And with the support of Housing First, Patricia was soon ready to move into a home of her own.
Housing First does exactly what it says – it helps people with housing first, to protect them from the cold, from danger, to give them safety and stability, emotional support and physical wellness. There is no judgement, no expectation or need for someone to give up their addiction. But with the right supports, this can often happen.
“I’ve just moved into this house. I’m content knowing I have it. I don’t know what the future bring. But I know there’s AA meetings close to me. I have a garden for my dogs, I never thought I’d have dogs you know!”
To support other people like Patricia, donate today
