A Belfast woman has spoken on her experience of homelessness and how the help and support she received from the Salvation Army helped get her and her family’s life back on track.
In 2020 Eileen McDonnell, her partner J and her two young children were referred to the charity’s Grosvenor Family Lifehouse by the Housing Executive after facing problems in the community and subsequently losing their home.
She told The Irish News; “We were in the hostel for four years and I have to say although it was a really difficult situation to be in the hostel was amazing the whole time we were there.”
From the very beginning of her relationship with support staff and management at the Salvation Army, Eileen was always honest and willing to accept active support.
Upon admission to Grosvenor she disclosed that she struggled with mental health and addiction issues which were exacerbated by the recent loss of her mother and her home.
“I’m actually a recovering alcoholic, my mum passed away five years ago and my drinking escalated from that.
“But I’m four and a half years sober and that’s as a result of the hostel, my partner and my children because they pulled me through.”
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During her time at Grosvenor, Eileen fully participated with the support plans and programmes put in place by staff.
“Everyone was absolutely amazing to me, and my partner was able to stay there with my family and they supported him while I was in rehab – honestly, they couldn’t have done any more.”
Having worked positively through each of her issues with staff and the various referral agencies involved in her case, Eileen was eager to improve her family’s situation.
“We took part in a lot of family programmes especially myself and my wee girl, they would’ve done an evening art class, and we used to go up and spend time together doing that.
“Then on special occasions like Christmas or Easter a lot of us from the hostel would get together and do loads of different activities just to feel a bit more normal.”
Eileen said her tenancy at Grosvenor “completely turned her life around” and in 2023 she and her family moved into their own home.
“I’m delighted – if you told me four years ago this is what my life would look like someday, I wouldn’t have believed you.
“And we aren’t actually that far away from the hostel, so I can still call in for a wee natter whenever I want and it’s just lovely.”
There are currently more than 58,000 people experiencing homelessness in Northern Ireland with an additional 5,100 children living in temporary accommodation, which is a 110% increase since 2019.
However, non-profit organisation Homeless Connect are aiming to raise awareness about this issue and inspire collective action to tackle it through their annual Homelessness Awareness Week.
The initiative highlights both the scale of the crisis and the vital work being carried out by organisations across Northern Ireland that provide support and services to people at risk of or experiencing homelessness – like the Salvation Army.
“Life can get really tough when you’re in a hostel and you’re not really sure where or what you’re going to do next but having that community and always having someone there to speak to was a huge help,” adds Eileen.
In order to continue improving her mental and physical health Eileen has undertaken several training courses and joined a gym. She also “helps out” with various events organised by the Salvation Army and hopes to volunteer in a more official capacity in the future.
“I’ve always said I’ll always support the hostel no matter what – just like how they’ve always supported me.
“I would love to become a proper volunteer and go in and work with other mummies and plan activities for them because that’s what got me through.”
Reflecting on her own experience Eileen hopes her story will help inspire others to “ask for help if and when they need it.”
“I’ll put my hands up, being homeless is hard but whenever you have the proper support network behind you, you can get through it.
“There’s always help out there you just need to ask for it.”
Homelessness Awareness Week in Northern Ireland runs from December 2 – 8. Full details of the events can be found at homelessconnect.org.
