‘You can overcome anything’: Stacey Quinn shares her story to help others

‘You can overcome anything’: Stacey Quinn shares her story to help others

Limerick’s Stacey Quinn has shared her story of homelessness and addiction to show others, “change is possible, hope is real”

NOVAS Initiative has released its 2024 Annual Report showing the Limerick-based charity has seen a 160 per cent increase in people seeking its services in the past decade.

As Limerick and the rest of Ireland experience issues with homelessness and addiction, one brave Limerick woman, Stacey Quinn, has shared her story to inspire others and show that “change is possible”.

Stacey, speaking in the 2024 Novas Annual Report explained how her life had been shaped by addiction, homelessness, and hardship as she spent 15 years “moving between the streets, prison, mental health institutions and the hostels of Limerick”.

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The Southill lady described how prison became a “second home” to her and that hostels were often the safest option for her to turn to.

Stacey has shared her gratitude for the services which helped her through her hardships, saying, “Without these services — especially NOVAS, Coolmine, Ana Liffey, and Bedford Row’s support to me and to my family — I know I would not be alive today.

“Those years were filled with pain, shame, and a deep sense of being judged and written off by society. I felt invisible, unwanted, and hopeless. But even in the darkest times, walking the streets of Limerick alone and pregnant, I realised I had enough.”

Speaking with RTÉ recently, Stacey explained how she was able to turn her life around with the help of services such as Novas and has since studied at college and is now working in social care.

 She told RTÉ, “I’ve never in a million years thought I’d be doing a thesis like, wow! I went around in college for two years with a dictionary as silly as it sounds.

“I suppose, being from Southill, you wouldn’t be hearing all these big words, you know? But I know them today. You can overcome anything, you just have to take it slowly day by day, but eventually.”

In the Novas report, Stacey describes how the people from the services showed her “kindness and believed” in her when she couldn’t believe in herself helped give her “the chance to survive long enough to start again”.

She described how in 2017, leaving TEP had her at a crossroads in life, she said, “I left TEP, pregnant with my third child, and went to Beaumont Hospital before entering treatment in Coolmine. For 15 months, I stayed in residential treatment, followed by a year in aftercare. That was where the real rebuilding began.”

The Limerick woman admits “recovery is not easy”, but says the process gave her the “tools, structure, and a new way of looking at myself”. Stacey describes how becoming a Client Representative at Coolmine gave her confidence and purpose, and in 2021 she attended TUS and gained experience with Ana Liffey.

She says in the report how she went on to work with St Augustine’s School while being a locum support worker at NOVAS, before going on to study her Level 5 and 6 qualifications at CCL College, and now prepares for her fourth year of a Level 8 degree in Addiction and Community Development.

Stacey said, “But above all else, the heart of my story is my family. I am a proud mother of four children, and today, they have their mother back. My family — especially my aunt Bernie, my mam, my dad, and my nana — have been my biggest supporters.

“My mam has always been my number one fan, my dad has given me quiet strength, and my nana’s love has been a constant reminder of who I really am. Their belief in me, along with the love of my children, gave me the strength to keep going when I doubted myself.”

Stacey says she learned valuable and powerful lessons in her recovery, “To do the right thing even when no one is watching; to never forget where I came from; and to recognise that change is always possible if you change the way you look at things.”

She added, “My journey is living proof that people can and do change. Looking back now, I see how far I’ve come — from the streets, prison cells and hostels to private accommodation, education, and meaningful work.

“My life is no longer defined by addiction, but by the choices I make, the people I support, and the family I get to love and be present for. My message is simple: change is possible. Hope is real. And people can change.”

The 2024 Annual report shows demand for emergency accommodation and housing continued to surge, with a growing number of people experiencing precarious living conditions and rough sleeping.

Among single adults entering emergency accommodation, 46 per cent had come directly from other homeless services, 20% had been sleeping rough, and 7 per cent arrived from hospital. Only 4% had been living in private, social or family housing before entry — highlighting the entrenched nature of homelessness for many.

Family homelessness also deepened during 2024, with more than 4,500 homeless children by year’s end. NOVAS supported more than 1,400 children through housing, emergency accommodation and tailored family supports,  the highest number in the organisation’s history.

“While the trends of rising homelessness are gravely concerning, we believe the issue is solvable and preventable,” said Una Burns, Head of Advocacy and Communications at NOVAS. “With the right policies, increased housing supply and a clear focus on people experiencing long-term homelessness, we can reach our shared goal of ending long-term homelessness by 2030.”

Despite ongoing pressure across services, 2024 also brought notable progress. NOVAS housed 1,419 people, delivered emergency accommodation to those in acute need, and supported young people to build pathways to safety and independence.