Depaul is currently supporting more than 1,000 women in homelessness across Ireland and Northern Ireland. Suzie is just one of the women Depaul has supported into their own home last year.
Suzie, 42, lost her home in 2017. After spending 4 years homeless, she came to Depaul’s Blessington Street homeless services. Here she got the help she needed to get back on her feet. Through the help she received at Depaul she now lives in her own apartment.
Here she tells her story in her own words.
“I was living in my family home for 13 years. I had reared my two kids there – my son and daughter. Then the landlord said he was selling.
I was shocked. I didn’t have a clue where to go…
We had made all our family memories there. That’s where my children went to school. When we started to pack up everything, it was awful, there was so much I had to leave behind…
I was devastated.
I was staying on friends’ settees and I was in B&Bs. I was jumping from here to there. I spent 4 years not knowing where home was. And I was alone. My children couldn’t come to visit any more.
“And when I arrived in Blessington Street in Dublin, the help I got was just unbelievable… I’ll never meet a nicer group of people.
And it wasn’t just a roof over my head. It was all I needed to get back on my feet.
I had to pay rent and budget every week, and I loved that. It prepared you for when you move out and get your own place. Then you’re ready for it.
Now through Depaul Housing, I have a long-term lease for my own home and I’m so happy.
And I haven’t just been left here. The people in Depaul really care.
When the caseworker in Depaul rings up to ask how you are, to check if everything is alright… I really love that. You’re not just thrown in here, they help you budget your money and check if you’re up to date with electricity bills and everything. They’re kind about it. It’s a great feeling. I say to myself, I’ve done all this. I’m on the right track.
I’m back where I had my family. This is where I came from and I’m back now. It’s making it so much easier for me. It really helps to be around people I know.
“And I say, if I can survive what I’ve been through, then I can survive anything. That’s the way I look at it. I’ve got a place now where my son and my daughter can come and visit.
To the people who make the work of Depaul possible, I’d like to thank you very much. I really, really would like to thank you very much for what you’ve done for me.”
At Depaul we understand that every person who walks through our doors for the first time faces different challenges. This is why we take a person-centred approach, and meet each person where they’re at, with no judgement. When a person first comes to Depaul they are linked with a designated keyworker who will work through plan to support their move to independent living where possible.
To support women in homelessness like Suzie, please donate to Depaul today.
