How Dublin Simon helped Paul be the father he wanted to be

Paul’s Story

My relationship broke down seven years ago, at the time my four kids were aged from 12 down to three. Then, in 2015, I got cancer. The prognosis was really bad. They gave me months to live. During treatment I got addicted to my prescription pain medication.

That really destroyed my life. Everything revolved around my addiction, and I got thrown out of my mother’s house. I’m not one for staying on the streets, so I went into hostels. Some hostels only allowed me in from 8pm – 8am.

Birthdays, Father’s Day, helping with homework, I missed it all. Dublin Simon really helped me.

They assigned Sarah as my key worker and this really changed things. The keyworkers really see the good in you. I’m much better now. I got work experience with Dublin Simon Community. They’ve given me a safe place to stay, where I have my own room. I’m getting loads of help learning the skills I need to live independently again, and my keyworker has helped me get the documentation together to get on the housing list. If that goes well, then I will have somewhere secure that I can call my own, a place my kids can come visit; and I can focus on getting my life and relationships back on track. It’s been a long road, but Dublin Simon played a huge role in bringing me to this point. I have hope now.

If you would like to help us continue to support fathers like Paul, please donate HERE.