As 2024 draws to a close and our attention turns to the coming year, I wanted to take the opportunity to pause and reflect on what has been another extraordinary year for the Depaul Group, and to say thank you for your unwavering support as we work towards a future where every person has a place to call home and a stake in their community.
As I write, 150 million people around the world will be sleeping on the streets or in a temporary shelter tonight. That’s more than the populations of the United Kingdom and France combined. When the scale of the problem is so incomprehensibly vast, it’s natural to question whether we are truly making a difference. But each time I travel to a Depaul project, I am reminded of the people behind the statistics, and of the life-changing impact the right support can have.
During my visit to Ukraine this summer, the scale of devastation was hard to comprehend, yet throughout my visit, I witnessed tremendous good being done at every turn. Entering the room at our children’s centre in Odesa, the sound of children’s laughter filled my ears. Brightly coloured paintings and drawings decorated the walls. On one wall, paintings of houses, lakes, trees and flowers made a collage depicting a town. A yellow road winding through the collage, connecting the houses together. For these children, and everyone Depaul supports from Ukraine to the USA, Croatia to the UK, the dignity and security of a home is so vital.
Seeing the artwork brings tears to my eyes. Most of the children around me have been displaced, some more than once. When they first come to the centre, they are isolated, lonely and struggling to cope with the trauma they have experienced. At the centre, the children are supported in small groups by specialist psychologists. The parents I spoke to describe this support as life changing. Their children laugh and play with others again – made possible thanks to the skill and dedication of Depaul Ukraine’s staff.
Moving on to our low-threshold shelter which provides people under the influence of drugs and alcohol with a safe place to stay, I’m struck again by the humility and care shown by our staff. Clients tell me how the shelter provides more than just a bed and a warm meal; it’s a place where they are treated with dignity and respect.
Reflecting on the trip, the compassion and empathy shown to every single person supported by Depaul stays with me. This is the Depaul way. Our work around the globe is about listening to those we work with and walking alongside them in times of need. While Depaul services differ greatly from country to country, the way our teams treat people is the same. It’s difficult to explain what makes it so special; it is a million different things. It is humanity at its finest.
Something must be done
October marked 35 years of Depaul – 35 years of working to end homelessness and changing the lives of those affected by it. At an event on World Homelessness Day in October, our President, Mark McGreevy, and Ambassador, Baroness Louise Casey of Blackstock, joined me in paying tribute to all those who have supported us on this incredible journey and asked for people’s continued support as we face the challenges, and opportunities, ahead.
Even one person experiencing homelessness is a tragedy, that 150 million people around the world will be sleeping on the streets or spending the night in a shelter instead of their own bed tonight is a calamity, and something must be done. We know it is possible to end homelessness, and ending homelessness for more people in more places is at the very heart of the ambitious new 6-year strategy we launched earlier this year.
With solid foundations laid during 2024, our plans for 2025 include launching a new global advocacy strategy designed to elevate the issue of homelessness and inspire action; piloting an innovative intervention which experts believe could be the next big break-through in homelessness; and rolling-out a new, person-centred outcomes framework across the Group to more effectively move people towards a brighter future.
Thank you
In the face of such overwhelming need, and when the task ahead feels seemingly impossible, I think of the 100,000 people around the world who Depaul supported last year, and I recall the now-famous Margaret Mead quote, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
From our Depaul family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and send our very best wishes for a happy and peaceful new year.
Matthew Carter OBE
Group CEO, Depaul International
