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Date: 06 Sep 2024
The Lord Mayor of Belfast has paid tribute to the work of Depaul in helping to tackle homelessness.
Councillor Micky Murray was speaking after a return visit to the charity’s Stella Maris facility in Belfast city centre, where he previously worked as a project worker.
His own personal experience of working in the community sector has inspired the Lord Mayor to focus on homelessness during his mayoral year and to select Depaul as one of his four chosen civic charities.
During today’s visit, Councillor Murray met with residents to hear first-hand the difference that Stella Maris has made to their lives and spoke with staff about the housing and harm reduction services they provide to people with a range of complex needs, including alcohol addiction.
Among those to meet with Councillor Murray was Joe*, who has been supported by Depaul and a resident at Stella Maris for more than two years.
He said: "I love Stella for how the staff treat me, they ask my opinion and show that I matter. I feel like Stella has saved me and helped me grow in confidence and my attitude towards life."
Joe’s* experience reflects the stories of many of those welcomed to Stella Maris since it opened its doors in September 2005 – the first service of its kind in Northern Ireland.
Catherine McGarrell, Project Group Manager at Depaul, said: "We are delighted to welcome the Lord Mayor and are hugely grateful for the support which we receive from being one of his civic charities.
“This help provides stability to our service - a service which is the lifeblood for so many of our users. In a time of increased talk of funding cuts, now more than ever, this type of support is key to our ability to continue to provide a high level of care to our service users."
Councillor Murray said: “Spending time with Stella Maris residents and staff today reminds me again of the vital importance of services like this within our city.
“The wraparound care and stability provided by this team is remarkable and it really makes a difference to the lives of all who passes through its doors.
“This year, I want to do what I can to make our society more inclusive – this is a great example of an initiative working to do just that, helping those whose need friendship and support to turn their lives around.”
David Carroll, CEO with Depaul, said: "We remain grateful to be chosen by the Lord Mayor and very proud of the work being done in Stella Maris.
“It is an incredibly important time in how we approach the serious issue of homelessness in Northern Ireland. We are seeing a changing landscape in terms of increased service demand, the changing demographic and added mental health complexities - all of which are compounded by a host of socio-political, environmental and economic challenges.
He added: "Now more than ever, our mission remains clear and we have an unwavering commitment to ending homelessness and changing lives."
* Joe's name has been changed to protect his identity.