This week on the 10forty Podcast, I’m joined by Brandon, founder of Dublin Homeless Awareness, a frontline non-profit supporting people experiencing homelessness across the city.

We dive into Brandon’s journey — from leaving school early to finding purpose through community action, leadership and eventually founding Dublin Homeless Awareness in 2018. What started as a Transition Year project sleeping rough evolved into a fully operational non-profit providing emergency accommodation support, referrals to addiction servicesand on-the-ground crisis response.

Brandon explains what the organisation actually does day to day: conducting welfare checks, calling doctors, supporting people during overdoses, administering life-saving medication, responding to stabbings and even carrying out river rescues as trained emergency first responders. We also talk about why they wear a uniform, how presence matters on the streets and the obstacles they face while working late into the night — often until 5am — to keep people safe.

We discuss their role during the Dublin riots, navigating COVID-19 while changing in a garden shed and how strong relationships with the homeless community and local businesses have been built over time. Brandon also shares lessons from his early jobs — including directing traffic at the 3Arena — and how those experiences shaped his conflict resolution and de-escalation skills.

The conversation covers his work experience with An Garda Síochána, Dublin Fire Brigade and the Ambulance Service, his long-standing ambition to work in emergency services, and why he’s now drawn to the social care and addiction support space. We talk about his decision to return to college to study addiction studies, what he’s learning around motivational interviewing and what’s next for Dublin Homeless Awareness.

We also break down how the organisation recruits and onboards volunteers from colleges, how they’ve built a team of 20, the interview and training process and how they keep their team safe while operating on the streets.

If you’re interested in volunteering or learning more, reach out to Dublin Homeless Awareness on social media.

A powerful, honest conversation about purpose, service and making a real impact where it matters most.

Download the Rough Sleeper App and report a rough sleep in need.

Once reported, the Dublin Simon Community will be alerted and can get support to that person as quickly as possible.

👉 Download on Google Play:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.roughsleepers&hl=en_IE

Follow the guys and the work they do

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dublinhomelessawareness/photo/7562300428612799766

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/p/DP7MEZljb4N/

This episode is proudly sponsored by:

Top Drawer Talent — Supply Chain & Procurement Specialists, helping businesses hire top-tier talent across Ireland and internationally.

Nesta Storage — secure, flexible storage solutions for businesses and individuals, offering modern facilities, short- and long-term options, and peace of mind when space matters. .

HERE WE GO!

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