Heading into a second Covid-19 Christmas, its almost hard to remember what life was like before masks and hand sanitisers and social distancing.
Christmas is always a great time for reunions and being close, but although we might be able to share time with loved ones from around the world this year, our celebrations will be muted as we all strive to stay safe.
As society suffers through the ongoing pandemic, uncertainty has become a constant companion. We all continuously question how we can keep ourselves and our families safe and wonder if there will be more lockdowns or further restrictions. The vulnerable homeless population live continuously in a state of extreme uncertainty – exacerbated during the pandemic by the fear of getting sick and the loneliness of isolation.
As we march towards Christmas, the cold snap is well and truly here. And with energy prices spiralling and rents increasing, there are many more people and families who face the very real prospect of losing a roof over their heads and worrying about where they will turn.
At the same time, the numbers of new Covid-19 infections are rising and hopes that Christmas 2021 would signal a return to normality are fading.
Need is greater than ever
For the Simon Community, the need for services is greater than ever at a time when fundraising initiatives have had to be scaled back enormously. The public’s generosity has been incredible, but the reality is that the financial needs of people’s everyday lives have meant that charities such as Simon Communities around Ireland are falling short of what is needed to keep essential services running.
The number of people accessing emergency housing is heading upwards again, just as financial and social supports are being reduced. And so the number of people entering homeless is on an upward trajectory. Last year Simon Communities across Ireland supported some 18,000 people, but the reality is that many more people need help and the nature of that assistance is becoming ever more complex as time goes on.
The virus shows no sign of tiring, and so Simon staff and volunteers have to continue to go above and beyond with relentless determination to ensure the safety of people experiencing homelessness.
This is delivered through a range of accessible services, including street outreach, emergency accommodation, harm reduction measures, homeless-specific health and wellbeing services, homeless prevention, tenancy sustainment and resettlement, food banks, soup runs, drop-in centres, and programmes from personal development, education training and employment supports.
The business and retail community has also struggled through the past 20 months. Yet their generosity towards the Simon Community has been pivotal in keeping vulnerable people safe and helping rebuild lives.
For more than two decades the business community has supported the annual Simon House of Cards and Appeal, and this year the charity needs that support more than ever.
Says Stephanie Nolan, manager of Simon House of Cards: “We are so acutely aware that businesses are struggling with the pandemic, and just as people felt ready to return to work and looked forward to a normal Christmas, there is even more uncertainty in the air.
“We are asking you to support our House of Cards campaign this year and help us turn a house of cards into a home!” she adds. “Help us support the 18,000 people in Ireland who are either homeless or at risk of homelessness. You can really make a difference by contributing today. We look forward to hearing from you.”
Simon House of Cards
The House of Cards campaign has packages to suit all budgets. All donors will receive access to bespoke branded e-cards and web banners to use during the festive period, selected from a range of available designs. Companies may wish to share these with staff working remotely, as well as their clients and customers to let them know they’ve helped the Simon Community this Christmas.
All donations over €100 receive our e-card package with a bespoke e-card and web banner.
Additionally, there is a range of extras at specific levels at which supporters can get involved.
The Platinum package is at a donation point of between €9,500 and €14,000 (depending on the number of editions in The Irish Times print ads a company opts in for). Platinum donors receive a large logo in the print advertisement, and additionally a feature logo appearance on The Irish Times online takeover, along with our sincere thanks from all at Simon Community.
Platinum donors also receive an acknowledgment on the Simon Community social channels and a choice of branded e-cards and web banners for your organisation.
The Gold package is for donation points from €6,500 to €9,000; it includes a medium-sized logo in print and online advertising options and an acknowledgment on social media.
The Silver package is for donations from €3000 to €5,000 and includes a medium company listing on print and online ads and a name acknowledgment on social media.
The Bronze package varies from €1,250 to €2,500 and incudes a small company listing in The Irish Times print ad and a sponsor acknowledgment on Simon social media channels.
[ hoc@dubsimon.ie ]