Amy’s Story
Amy grew up in care and in foster homes. There were good times and dark times along the way. One of her lowest points was a serious assault that took place when she was younger, it made Amy fearful and scared.
When she reached 18, she no longer had the support of foster care and found herself on her own fending for herself. She was vulnerable and lonely. Wanting to feel loved, she unfortunately became involved with a man who physically abused her. As the violence escalated, her neighbours complained about the disturbance, and she lost her home.
Will you donate €75 today to help support Amy, and women just like her, who need a safe place to call home and the encouragement and support to rebuild their lives
Amy sank into a prolonged and severe depression, she lost her confidence to live on her own and, just like when she was younger, she was fearful and scared.
Amy came in contact with Dublin Simon Community and a room was arranged for her at Chester House, one of our supported housing services. She met her keyworker Ciara who assured Amy she was in a safe place with people who cared and most importantly she could stay with Dublin Simon as long as she needed to.
Ciara worked with Amy to empower her to become more independent, building up her confidence and resilience a day at a time. Amy is now in a position where she can feel safe and secure in her home, and her depression and anxiety are improving.
A ‘Stepping-Stone’ or ‘Forever Home’
Dublin Simon’s Chester House provides supported housing for people who are experiencing homelessness, and have mental health, addiction or personal care needs. Residents are mainly people who have been homeless for long periods of time and who do not have the capacity to live independently.
For some people, supported housing is their ‘forever home’, while for others, it’s a stepping-stone towards one day living on their own. Either way, residents can live in these services for as long as they need to.
Your donation today of €150 will allow people like Amy to feel safe and valued again
Every month we see the number of people in homelessness rise, we need your support now more than ever – it really is what keeps us going, it gives us the drive to keep helping those who come to our door every day. Thank you for your generosity and kindness.
Dublin Simon Community provides wraparound services to thousands of people at risk or experiencing homelessness. Our services include Outreach, Clinical, Supported Housing, Independent Housing, Tenancy Sustainment, and Client
Development.
Chester House has a total capacity of 42 beds, providing support to vulnerable male and female clients. All clients have a history of prolonged homelessness, which can lead to many mental and physical health issues. They are unable to live independently due to various complex issues including alcohol and/or drug addiction, permanent disabilities, learning difficulties, medication management support needs, and psychosocial support needs including emotional & mental wellbeing.
These clients are very vulnerable and require 24/7 support from our staff. Our staff are highly trained to support residents following an ethos that is client-centred, constructive, and non-judgmental. Chester House is a long-term supported housing unit, which means clients can stay for as long as they like. For many people, Chester House is their home and the final step out of homelessness for good. Each resident is appointed a support worker, who will work directly with them on individualised support plans.
The kind of support our clients receive at Chester include:
- Three meals per day prepared on site
- Weekly drop-in counselling service
- Management of medication
- Savings scheme and support with finances as required
- Assistance with managing health regimes and liaising with primary care teams
- Group work and one-to-one social activities
- Scheduled social outings
- Provision of support with basic life skills (room cleaning, laundry etc. as needed)
Funding
The cost to run Chester House for one client encompasses their room/bed, food, healthcare, essential items, as well as the 24/7 staff support. You can help end homelessness for someone like Amy today by supporting our clients at Chester House. With a gift of €175 today, you can support the delivery of essential clinical support to residents of Chester House, like Amy.
A gift of €90 can provide nourishing meals for men and women who have no home of their own.
A gift of €150 can can provide essential medical care for people who are homeless and are in poor health.
A gift of €250 can provide free access to our counselling service, helping people deal with the trauma of homelessness.