{"id":4469,"date":"2023-02-17T14:34:24","date_gmt":"2023-02-17T14:34:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ie.depaulcharity.org\/?post_type=stories&p=4469"},"modified":"2023-03-06T12:40:18","modified_gmt":"2023-03-06T12:40:18","slug":"suzies-story","status":"publish","type":"stories","link":"https:\/\/ie.depaulcharity.org\/stories\/suzies-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Suzie’s Story"},"content":{"rendered":"
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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.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Suzie, 42, lost her home in 2017. After spending 4 years homeless, she came to Depaul\u2019s 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.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Here she tells her story in her own words.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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From Family Home to No Home<\/h2>\n

\u201cI was living in my family home for 13 years. I had reared my two kids there \u2013 my son and daughter. Then the landlord said he was selling.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I was shocked. I didn\u2019t have a clue where to go\u2026\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We had made all our family memories there. That\u2019s 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\u2026\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I was devastated.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I was staying on friends\u2019 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\u2019t come to visit any more.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Regaining Independence<\/h2>\n

\u201cAnd when I arrived in Blessington Street in Dublin, the help I got was just unbelievable\u2026 I\u2019ll never meet a nicer group of people.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And it wasn\u2019t just a roof over my head. It was all I needed to get back on my feet.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u2019re ready for it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now through Depaul Housing, I have a long-term lease for my own home and I\u2019m so happy.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And I haven\u2019t just been left here. The people in Depaul really care.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When the caseworker in Depaul rings up to ask how you are, to check if everything is alright\u2026 I really love that. You\u2019re not just thrown in here, they help you budget your money and check if you\u2019re up to date with electricity bills and everything. They\u2019re kind about it. It\u2019s a great feeling. I say to myself, I\u2019ve done all this. I\u2019m on the right track.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m back where I had my family. This is where I came from and I\u2019m back now. It\u2019s making it so much easier for me. It really helps to be around people I know.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Thank You<\/h2>\n

\u201cAnd I say, if I can survive what I\u2019ve been through, then I can survive anything. That\u2019s the way I look at it. I\u2019ve got a place now where my son and my daughter can come and visit.<\/span><\/p>\n

To the people who make the work of Depaul possible, I\u2019d like to thank you very much. I really, really would like to thank you very much for what you\u2019ve done for me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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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\u2019re 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. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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To support women in homelessness like Suzie, please donate to Depaul today.<\/p>\n

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

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