“I know what it’s like to be homeless
here in the West of Ireland at this time of year.”
My name is Mark Anthony and I’ve been out on the streets with only a blanket in December. I remember the dark, the freezing cold and the pouring rain.
I’ve never felt more lonely.
My birth parents gave me up as a baby and I grew up in care. I always felt I didn’t belong. I ended up going into a children’s home when I was 14. Even today, I don’t like thinking about that horrible, horrible time, but the feeling that no one wanted me was so strong I carried it with me for years.
When I turned 18, I was on my own. This all happened 20 years ago, and there was no more support.
I was homeless.
I’ve blocked out a lot of the memories of that time, but I’ll never forget hitting rock bottom. I’d been angry. I’d been too scared to close my eyes. I’d felt the pain of being rejected by everyone. Then, finally, I felt nothing. I’d cried so many times I had nothing left.
That’s what rock bottom really is – not caring about anything. Not even yourself. Your life is so hard and without hope that you don’t want to wake up any more.
I remember I was sitting with a curtain wrapped around me when someone came to tell me there was a place for me in Emergency Accommodation at Galway Simon. I’d been homeless for three years. Like I said, I’d stopped feeling anything, but then it came – this tiny spark of hope. A flicker of light in the darkness.
My life changed that moment.
I was given more than a place to live. I had a home, where people cared about me, and I became part of the Galway Simon Community.
With support from Galway Simon community, I found a path into work by volunteering. I even met my wife-to-be through Galway Simon and, today, we have our own family.
I’m now working with Galway Simon Community as Assistant Shop Manager and I’m doing everything I can to give my children the happiness and security that was missing from my childhood.
With the support of Galway Simon Community, I found a home, hope and a new beginning. With a home comes a sense of safety. Finally, you belong, and you can rebuild your life from there.
