Lorna is forty years old. At first glance she looks like any other young lady with the world at her feet. She carries herself very well in the circumstances that she is faced with on a daily basis.

Lorna left school after finishing her Leaving Cert which she passed with honours. She then went on to complete a course run by the CDVEC in the Ballsbridge College of Business Studies.

In 1989 her mother got an application for a job in a bank, which she gave to her. Lorna thought to herself that she would not be good enough to apply but Lorna’s application was successful and towards the end of 1989, she started working for the bank.

She was 20 years of age at that time and very happy in her work. Lorna made friends very quickly and became a bit of a party animal. She recalls Friday nights when after work they would head down to the local bar after a hard working week.

Of course. Monday mornings were a dread as staff in the bank would recite in graphic detail her antics after getting completely out of it on a cocktail of beer, wine and song. Lorna began to realise that this behaviour was way out of control and knew it would lead her down a slippery slope of no return if not addressed quickly.

After many years of unsuccessful attempts to put her life back on track, which included residential stays in the Rutland and St Patrick’s, time was not waiting and life was passing by. After many a near miss whilst drink-driving and numerous times waking up in the casualty department, Lorna received a barring order to stay away from the home that she shared with her frail mother.

Lorna’s mum was very ill and had only recently undergone major heart surgery and could not take any more. Throughout all this time her employer had been very supportive towards her. They even gave Lorna time off to take a vacation to Australia to try and help.

Sadly, nothing seemed to work. After 14 years service she was given a €10,000 pay off by the bank. Lorna took the money without thinking and it went very fast.

Lorna tried again to get sober and was lucky enough to get into a three-month Residential Rehabilitation programme, run by the Dublin Simon Community. At the end of this programme Lorna was given accommodation by Simon in their women’s Dry House. She maintained sobriety for a while but in the end the drink won her over and she was asked to leave.

Lorna is now a resident in a women’s emergency hostel, which is run by a religious order. This accommodation caters for chronic alcoholics, drug addicts, battered wives and their children, lone parents and every socially-excluded woman, whatever their issue may be.

As with any hostel, there are rules. The premises open at 7pm and residents must vacate at 12mid-day the following day. The only exception allowed is for the elderly and parents with their young children.

Lorna only uses this hostel in the evening as a place to have a shower and sleep. It’s not the kind of place that in all the years that she spent socialising with her bank chums on Friday nights she ever dreamed she might end up in. Sometimes reality hurts. What will Christmas will be like for Lorna and how will 2009 work out?

“I hope it goes as quickly as possible to be honest, the whole lot, New Year also. There’s only so much that I can take. It’s a sad time for me and of course I am not alone in feeling this way. There are a lot of people out there suffering in situations much worse than I am faced with. Can you imagine spending Christmas Day up a back street lane with nowhere to go? At least I will have a roof over my head, please God.”

Lorna is optimistic and tells me that she is going to give this New Year her best shot. “I must be a lot harder on myself next year. This behaviour has to stop. I have compiled a plan with the help of a very good friend I met whilst on the Simon Rehab Programme.

This person is a walking advertisement of inspiration to me and others as he is now entering his fifth year of sobriety. He tells me that after a long time battling this demon, which is a killer, he now lives the life of his wildest dreams. With his and others’ help and support I hope to succeed.”

Being homeless on the streets is not easy. It can happen to anyone, regardless of one’s social background, and can be a very traumatic experience, as in Lorna’s case. The winter ahead is very stressful. To be on the streets is soul-destroying and can make people turn to crime and begging, and self esteem is non-existent.

It can even make these poor, lost people that had a decent start in life turn to total depression and sometimes worse.

The Dublin Simon Community can be contacted at www.dubsimon.ie or telephone 10 671 5551 to make a donation.