For a long time, James didn’t think of himself as homeless.
He was sleeping on sofas when he could, staying on floors when there was no other option and moving from one place to the next. He called in one favour, then another, until eventually there was nobody left to ask.
Homelessness rarely happens all at once. For James, it happened gradually, as each of his options disappeared.
I didn’t feel at home anywhere.
James had experienced instability from a young age. His father died when he was eight, and he spent time in care and with foster families. As he grew older, his mental health deteriorated and he began experiencing severe depression.
Although he was struggling, James still didn’t recognise that he was becoming homeless. He was simply trying to make it through each day.
“I was wandering around Galway without really having a plan. I think I was hoping that somehow, somebody would notice that I wasn’t okay.”
James spent his days walking around Galway. He sat in cafés for as long as he could and remained in the city long after most people had gone home. He was becoming increasingly unwell and isolated, but to many of the people passing him, he may have appeared like any other young person.
Eventually, one cold and stormy winter night, James had nowhere left to go. He walked to the coach station because it was warm but was later asked to leave. That night, he slept beneath a row of trees on the edge of the city.
Looking back, James says he felt lucky that he spent “only” two nights sleeping rough.
When James was connected with Galway Simon Community’s Youth Service, he was exhausted and unwell and he had lost much of his confidence.
However, the team could still see the person underneath and the future that remained possible for him.
“In that meeting, I remembered that I was human.”
James moved into accommodation supported by Galway Simon Community. After such a long period of uncertainty, he finally had a bed, a kitchen and a safe place to return to at the end of the day.
Having somewhere safe to live gave James the stability he needed to begin rebuilding his life. The Youth Service team took the time to get to know him, listen to him and support him at his own pace.
Some of the moments James remembers most are the ordinary ones—walks with members of the team and stopping for a hot chocolate. It wasn’t really the hot chocolate that mattered. It was having someone beside him who listened and helped him feel that he belonged.
“That feeling of belonging was probably the biggest thing.”
Today, James is living independently and working. He’s physically and mentally stronger, and his future looks very different from the one he imagined while sleeping beneath those trees.
When asked what the support of Galway Simon Community meant to him, James said:
Simon doesn’t just get people back on their feet. They give people their wings.
There are other young people across Galway, Mayo and Roscommon experiencing the same uncertainty James once faced. They may be moving between sofas and spare rooms, walking the streets or hoping somebody will notice that they are not okay.
With the support of people across the West, Galway Simon Community can reach young people before they run out of options and help them find the safety, stability and sense of belonging they need to move forward.
Please donate today and help another young person like James before they have nowhere left to go.
James’ name has been changed and stock photography is used to protect his identity. His words and his story are entirely true.