{"id":4336,"date":"2022-11-25T13:24:21","date_gmt":"2022-11-25T13:24:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ie.depaulcharity.org\/?post_type=stories&p=4336"},"modified":"2022-12-11T21:37:23","modified_gmt":"2022-12-11T21:37:23","slug":"ryans-story","status":"publish","type":"stories","link":"https:\/\/ie.depaulcharity.org\/stories\/ryans-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Ryan’s Story"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
\n

From family home… to care home… to no home. <\/strong><\/h2>\n

When Ryan lost his mother at a young age, he entered the care system. As soon as he turned 18, Ryan became homeless.<\/p>\n

From our decades of experience, we know that the longer a young person like Ryan is homeless, the more likely it is that he\u2019ll stay homeless.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A Lost Generation<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You\u2019d instantly warm to Ryan. He\u2019s a real chatterbox, and when he talks about how he\u2019s trying to pull himself out of homelessness, he speaks with passion.<\/p>\n

But when the subject turns to his childhood, you can see <\/strong>the pain in his deep brown eyes.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ryan\u2019s a middle child. He has a little brother and older sister. When their Mam died, they lost one another as well.<\/p>\n

There is no safety net for teenagers leaving care. <\/strong>The day you turn 18 you\u2019re an adult expected to be able to navigate complex processes like applying for state grants, housing, and college bursaries. It\u2019s sink or swim.<\/strong><\/p>\n

And after all the trauma and challenges children like Ryan have faced alone, you can imagine how easy it is to sink.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a feeling of \u2014 who would even care if I did? <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt still hurts. I\u2019ll never understand why they split us up – me, my little brother, and my sister. We all had to deal with losing our Mam and then losing each other all by ourselves. It tore my family apart.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ryan is smart and driven and he\u2019s determined to do everything he possibly can himself to escape a life on the street \u2014 searching for food and somewhere safe to sleep.<\/p>\n

He found a second-hand suit to wear. Ryan says he wants to try to present himself in the very best way he can.<\/p>\n

At house viewings, there’s a growing frustration.<\/p>\n

“There might be 10, 15 people or more all in competition for the same place. You’re competing with professionals. You just feel so hopeless – rejection after rejection.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And for every day… week… month… a young person like Ryan is homeless, the less likely he is to ever escape it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Breaking the Cycle<\/h2>\n

It was only when he came to Depaul’s youth hostel, Peter\u2019s Place, that things began to change for Ryan\u2026<\/p>\n

“It gave me stability and meant I could find myself a job”.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Now Ryan has just signed a long-term lease on a flat, and he’s over the moon. “It means I\u2019ll never be homeless again,\u201d says Ryan. \u201cThis is a gift. I will never ever go back to that life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ryan has had to fight tooth and nail to find his way out of homelessness. But even so, he says he couldn\u2019t have done it without the support of Peter’s Place.<\/p>\n

\u201cI look back on what I\u2019ve been through to get to this moment and it just makes you appreciate what you have a billion times more, especially having a roof over your head,\u201d says Ryan. \u201cI’m so grateful. I just want to say thank you…\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To support other young people like Ryan, donate today\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Donate Now<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n

\n<\/svg>\n<\/div> <\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":4335,"template":"","class_list":["post-4336","stories","type-stories","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"Ryan's Story - Depaul Ireland<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n