“I would have been a goner without Simon”

Cold can be a killer. Not just physically, but emotionally - freezing the will to carry on, extinguishing hope one bitter night at a time.

Mark learned this at just 19 years old. Homeless and living in a broken-down car, he faced horrors most of us can barely imagine. Rats under the bonnet. Mice in the roof space. Strangers threatening him in the darkness. And worst of all, the crushing, suffocating loneliness.

"Every noise you hear, you're constantly sitting up and looking out to see if there is anyone coming," Mark recalls.

With epilepsy making his situation even more dangerous, he seized constantly from lack of sleep.

When winter arrived, he would wake to find ice coating the inside of his windscreen, his blankets soaked through with damp. "There was no hope of keeping anything dry. I was constantly getting sick."

But it was the isolation that truly threatened to break him. Christmas was unbearable - watching everyone else playing happy families while knowing he would be sitting alone in that car. "I just felt proper alone on this day," Mark says quietly. At his lowest points, he thought about ending it all.

This is the reality of homelessness today. And tragically, Mark's story is far from unique. Right now in Waterford – and in cities and towns throughout the South East, others are living their own versions of Mark's nightmare - each person trapped in their own desperate situation, each one wondering if anyone notices, if anyone cares.

But here's what makes the region special: communities here in Waterford and across the South East refuse to turn their back on those who are homeless.

When a concerned neighbour noticed Mark and contacted Simon, they could immediately respond – thanks in no small part to people who give what they can.

The Simon team brought food and dry bedding -- but more importantly, they brought something Mark had almost forgotten existed: human warmth and genuine care.

"To just interact with the Simon team, that kind of meant more than the food, to be honest," Mark says. "Just having that chat with someone."

That simple act of kindness - made possible by those who support Simon’s work, was the first flicker of light in Mark's darkness. It was the beginning of a journey that would ultimately save his life.

This Christmas, Mark's life looks remarkably different. Thanks to the sustained support and generosity of a wider community that cares, Mark now has a place to live - safe, warm accommodation that he can afford. He has a roof that doesn't leak, walls that keep out the cold, a door he can lock, and a bed where he can finally sleep without fear.

"I was reaching out to all these people and everyone was telling me 'we can't help you,'" Mark remembers. "But Simon was very, very helpful."

Mark’s journey from that broken-down car to stable accommodation wasn't quick or easy. It took months of consistent support, advocacy, and practical help.

Every step of that journey was made possible by compassionate people who believe everyone deserves a second chance. They saw Mark’s potential when he could barely see it himself. They believed Mark's life mattered.

The two dogs who kept him company through those darkest days? They're still with him. The epilepsy that made sleeping rough so dangerous? He's getting proper treatment now. The loneliness that nearly destroyed him? He's discovered that he wasn’t as alone as he thought.

“I would have been a goner. Without Simon, they saved my life, basically” Mark says, his voice breaking with emotion.

But as Mark prepares for Christmas in a place he can call home, many other lives still hang in the balance. This Christmas, there are men and women here in Waterford and in towns and cities throughout the South East facing the same desperation Mark knew - sleeping rough, losing hope, wondering if anyone notices or cares, dreading the loneliness of Christmas Day.

Imagine spending Christmas morning in a doorway, watching families pass by on their way to warm celebrations. Imagine the despair of knowing that while others unwrap presents surrounded by loved ones, the only gift awaiting some people is another night of survival.

These heartbreaking scenarios don't have to be inevitable. Transformation is possible. Mark's story proves it.

The cold is coming, and with it, the hardest season for those without shelter. But if we act together, we can make sure that this Christmas marks not an ending, but a new beginning for those who need us most.

Every act of kindness, every word of encouragement, every step toward finding a way out of homelessness - it's all made possible by the extraordinary kindness and generosity of people here in Waterford and throughout the South East who believe that everyone deserves warmth, dignity, and hope, especially at Christmas.

Mark's story could have ended very differently. What made the difference? The compassion, commitment and generosity of a community that refuses to let someone slip through the cracks.

This Christmas, as we celebrate with our own loved ones, let's remember that the true spirit of the season lies in ensuring that no one is left out in the cold.

Together, we can make Waterford and the South East a warmer place this Christmas -- a place defined not by how we treat the fortunate, but by how we care for the vulnerable.

Because everyone deserves a place to call home this Christmas.

--- To support South East Simon Community's Christmas appeal, visit www.southeastsimon.ie/christmas or contact us at 021 4929 416. 

Your generosity will help provide hope and a way out of homelessness for people in our community like Mark. Thank you and Happy Christmas.

Mark's story is true, but we've changed his name and used a different photo to protect his privacy.