A Dublin student has provoked an emotional response from the public after sharing her own personal experience of homelessness when she was a child.
Laura Horan, a final-year journalism student at Dublin City University (DCU), has spoken out in an effort to change the stereotypes around people who become homeless.
“I wanted to get rid of the stigma people thinking the only people are homeless these days are addicts, that’s a minority. There’s children, older people and families, it can be anyone,” the 20-year-old said.
Laura said when she was 10-years-old, she and her mother slept on the floors and couches of friends and family for months after becoming homeless.
"My mam wasn't on drugs, we weren't bad people. My mam got out of an unfortunate relationship and we were just left with nothing," she told The Irish Times.
“After months went by, people were getting exhausted with us sleeping on the their couches and their floors.
“Finally, after sleeping in cars and a few nights of sleeping rough, we went to a homeless shelter.
“My mam was always really strong. The best thing my mam done was not make me realise what was happening. It was like Iwas out having adventures with my mam.”
Laura, who lives in Coolock, said when they arrived at the homeless shelter, her mother thought their situation would improve.
“But it was absolutely horrible, overpacked to bits. The amount of children in the place was horrendous. I was 10 and most of the children were under the age of five,” she said.
“Me and my mam tried to keep out and active as much as possible doing fun things.
‘I didn’t actually realise I was homeless’
“I didn’t actually realise I was homeless...This was just normal to me, me exploring with my mam. My mam was my best friend and always has been.
“ Coming up to Christmas I was learning about the homeless in school. I felt so sorry for them. I said ‘Mam, these poor homeless kids they have nothing’.”
Laura said she got her old toys from the attic of her grandmother’s house and put them in the box for homeless children.
“I wrote my little note ‘here are some of my toys I hope you enjoy them’,” she said.
She said a few weeks later a "Santa Claus" called into the shelter and gave out boxes to the children living there.
“When I was opening the boxes and looking around at everyone else’s shoe boxes, I then realised these were the shoe boxes that I had sent off to other kids- that I’d felt sorry for that, I was empathising with, when I actually was that child,” she said.
“It was just so hard for me to realise that, that was me. That was definitely the moment I realised ‘Oh I’m homeless’, I’m one of them kids that everyone was feeling sorry for in school. That was me.”
Laura said she was homeless for about two years, and credited the kindness from charities for helping her through the “hard times”.
“My life has completely changed from being that scared little girl in the homeless shelter. Since then we’ve come so far,” she said.
“I’m proud of her(mam) being so good and being so strong”.
“It’s so important to donate to homeless charities... because it helps people like me to get to where I am now.”
Laura said the reaction to the video has been huge and the public have sent kind messages.
“People in college have said they never knew and were shocked. They’ve been so supportive,” she said.
“The reaction from where I live, in Coolock, isn’t as big as a lot of people there probably would know someone who is homeless.”
Laura said she received messages from a number of people also sharing their homeless experiences.
“It shows so many normal people who go to school, go to college, go to work and work hard can end up in these situations.
“It’s horrible to ignore it or avoid it or say it’s ok once they are in a shelter and not on the streets.”
The video in which Laura shares her story is part of broadcast that will be streamed live by DCU's Media Production Society (MPS) for 24 hours on December 2nd.
This year the event will raise funds for the Peter McVerry Trust and people can donate on the website.
“I was a bit embarrassed about it at the start of filming it, I don’t like being the vulnerable person... but getting this reaction and knowing what it can hopefully do for the charity is so worth it.”
