“The Latin phrase 'Horus non numero nisi serenus' is usually translated as 'I don't count the hours unless they are quiet ones'.
But its actual translation, written by a monk; 'When I come to die, the only moments that I will remember are those when I was at peace.'
Home is where I'm most often at peace. It’s about my children and all the memories that happen within the confines of our home. Growing up, home was always a place that was family, my immediate family being the pillar of my existence. A safe, quiet place away from the turmoil of whatever was happening in the world, be it good or bad.
That's why the word 'quiet' is a good representation of home for me.
Losing that sense of quiet and calm would be one of the most traumatic things I can imagine. And in truth, I can’t properly imagine it because I don’t know that we ever fully understand the depth of trauma in that experience.
I think the sense of community, alongside the quiet and calm within the Simon services gives people perspective and helps them find their pathway out of homelessness, addiction, or
whatever challenges they face. The relationships and human contact open up new pathways for people. I think that’s what Simon is all about.
It’s shameful that Simon has to be the last resort for so many people. It’s true that mental health issues, addiction, and personal difficulties can lead to homelessness. But homelessness is fundamentally a housing problem. While there are people in our communities who are suffering with mental health issues or are in the midst of the chaos of addiction, they aren’t experiencing homelessness. They have a level of social or economic capital that means they don’t lose their home. They still have a place to go.
But that is not true for too many people because the State hasn't provided or had the vision to provide homes that would be a safety net for the majority of people who are now homeless. This means organisations like Simon having to be there. Simon may always be needed to some degree. But we shouldn't be as needed as we are.
I think what’s unique about Simon is that there are so many firsts. We were one of the first organisations 60 years ago, to combine service provision, understanding homelessness, and political advocacy.
When you talk to people about working for Simon, they have a really strong sense of who Simon is. I've never known an organisation that has resonance with people in our community so strongly.
It's rare that I see a political or social environment where homelessness is as central a priority than it is in Ireland. The awareness Irish people have of the problem resonates for me because we had migrated when I was younger. The sense of Ireland being home was really important to me. There’s something inherent in Ireland that we do care about homelessness. I think it's cultural. And I'm not sure what drives it, but as Executive Director of Simon I'm very glad it's there.
We have Simon communities around the country that are supported strongly by their local communities. And we can talk about housing and homelessness being at the top of the political agenda and people's concerns now. But they've always been there. Simon’s always been there.
We can see the road out of this housing and homelessness crisis. But whether we can get the political system to travel that road with us will be the question. We're still fighting that battle. Some would say homelessness is now the highest priority, but it's still a competing priority. We must treat it as a crisis and travel that road to ending it.
When I think about working for Simon, they're my people. When you spend your working day with colleagues for whom success is supporting people out of homelessness or working to ending homelessness, that’s a very privileged place to be."