Thank you for your messages of support and understanding in these difficult and uncertain times. They are very much appreciated.
The coronavirus crisis is going to bring huge challenges to all of us in the coming weeks and months.
We’re planning and preparing for every eventuality. Our priority is to ensure the health and welfare of people using our services, our staff and volunteers – especially those who may be at risk of a more serious illness if they contract the Covid-19 virus.
We have already reconfigured some of our services to facilitate even better hygiene, infection control and social distancing. We’re making sure everyone using our services has the information they need to protect themselves and others, information that we’re continuously promoting and re-enforcing.
We’re working closely with local public health authorities, Cork City Council and others to put measures in place to deal with any potential Covid-19 cases in our services, making sure that we can react quickly, safely and proactively.
The response to-date to these measures among people using our services and among our staff and volunteer teams has been overwhelmingly positive.
As the crisis develops, we’re adapting as needs be – and will continue to do so. We’ll do our best to keep you updated.
In the meantime, we encourage you to follow government and HSE guidelines for your own protection and those around you.
The commitment and experience of our excellent staff and volunteer teams are key to working through this crisis effectively.
So too is your continuing support – we’ll need you more than we ever have over the weeks and months ahead.
The housing crisis is pushing people into homelessness and preventing people from leaving homelessness. Our Emergency Shelter is overflowing with an average of 60 people per night relying on a Cork Simon emergency bed. People are staying for longer and longer in emergency accommodation because they have no other options. Rents in Cork City increased 5.5% in the last 12 months; Rent Supplement and Housing Assistance Payments do not come near asking rents.
Our Emergency Shelter is located on Anderson’s Quay, in the heart of Cork city centre. The Shelter provides care, accommodation and one-to-one support for 47 people around-the-clock, every day of the year. Demand for emergency beds is high – throughout 2018 the Shelter accommodated an average of 57 people per night – the need for emergency accommodation is so great that we try to accommodate as many people as is safe to do so.
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If you know Cork, you know that we live in a caring community. And that sense of belonging, that feeling of community, was here before all of us – and will be here long after us.
Here at Cork Simon, we are blessed that our supporters have enriched our organisation – and our community – with their generous gifts.
What we’ve achieved, with the amazing support of our donors, represents our community at its very best. Read More
April 7th, 10:00 am
Our volunteers, like so many people here in Cork and beyond, continue to stand by every man and woman depending on us. This is what will get us through this crisis - and this is why we need, now more than ever, to maintain our volunteering programme.
Our volunteer co-ordinator, Emma, is finding new ways to do that - from home: “The best thing that I can do to help our frontline staff is to stay home and work from here. I am doing a lot more telephone and email support with volunteers where I would normally do it in person. We have had many kind offers of help and indeed we are lucky to have a group of volunteers coming on board to help us in our housing projects for the duration of this crisis.”
Our community is staying connected while keeping apart.
Believe in People.
April 6th, 8:00 am
It is important for everyone’s health and wellbeing that people keep occupied in positive ways. Continuing to keep people’s spirits up, Don who works in our high support housing, held a Bingo evening to help pass the time.
"We played six rounds and had five residents. Each player won a prize on the night. They loved it," says Don. All our staff who are working with people in services are encouraging them to exercise and move where they can and engage in recreational hobbies that are available, however limited.
April 4th, 10:36 am
Community has never been so important - and that includes you, our supporters! Standing together in these most uncertain times is helping to lift people’s spirits. As Colette, a team leader in one of our high-support houses points out in her video, our community spirit will see us through.
Colette and her team support people with addictions and poor mental health. Thanks to you, they're bringing compassion, understanding and constant reassurance to those they support. Thank you for believing in People.
Fabulous person...proud to know you Colette! XXXX
Colette ❤
🥰🙏🏻
April 3rd, 10:00 am
Rock solid communities really shine when the going gets tough. We're seeing it every day. Our volunteers continue to be at the heart of everything we're doing. A few of our full-time volunteers made the very difficult decision to return early to their home countries last week, including Italy and Spain, to be with their families.
“We had one paediatric nurse from Italy, and she went home to help fight the virus there. Our volunteers give us so much. I am so proud of them all. My main concern is to help and support them as best as I can - they will also be dealing with supporting family and friends at home,” says Emma, our Volunteer Coordinator.
Now, more than ever, we appreciate the huge impact that all our volunteers from here at home and around the world make to our essential services. Our thoughts are with those who need to be with their families at this time. Thank you all for your invaluable work. We're getting through this together.
Believe in People.
April 2nd, 8:00 am
“At mealtimes, our residents are taking their food to sit alone or taking their plates to their rooms. They are trying their best,” says Gill - a worker in one of our high support houses.
As well as keeping themselves safe, our residents are taking the necessary precautions in protecting their housemates and our staff and volunteers as they adapt to doing things differently. Healthy eating and our constant reassurance and encouragement are helping them to stay positive.
