Cork Simon Community

171 people

were supported in
housing in 2017

We opened a Winter Night Shelter on 01 November 2017 in response to an increase in rough sleeping. It remains open

+15 beds

Safer Saturdays

Since September 2017 our Day Centre is open every Saturday for people sleeping rough

10,345 presentations

to our Day Service in 2017

10% increase

Total number of people we supported

1,403

used our services in 2017

18% increase

Believe in People.

"They gave me opportunity after opportunity. That then gave me belief in myself and confidence. The Employment and Training service helps you develop long term choices for yourself, which, when you’re homeless isn’t something you think of. You view your life in the very short term but when you start thinking about long term goals it changes your mindset."
Susan

Education & Training

58 people

were supported into employment

206 people

were facilitated into training

We opened a new aftercare house for women

3 new beds

Believe in People.

"All the volunteers in Cork Simon are really cool, but the ones who are here when you start - they’re the special ones to you. They are the ones who help you settle in, show you the ropes, take you under their wing."
Pat

12,550 generous donors

raised €3.8 million in 2017

88c of every €1

activities and services aimed at ending homelessness

616 part-time
volunteers

38 full-time
volunteers

From 16 countries in 2017 including: Albania, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Serbia, South Korea, Spain, The United States, Venezuela

An average of

19 people were sleeping rough
per night in 2017

339 people

in our Emergency Shelter in 2017. They were staying for longer periods than ever before

790 people

used our Day Service in 2017

7% increase

57 people were long-term homeless in 2017

10% increase

36 people

per night in our shelter were long-term homeless in 2017

Believe in People.

"The Soup Run was something to look forward to. You could get off the street for a few hours. You knew it was there, and you could count on it every day. That was guaranteed. I could go the whole day with nothing to eat, but I knew I could have a feed at the Soup Run. They were always so welcoming and I knew I’d have people I could talk to. It made a big difference to me. A big difference."
Adrian

855 people
used our
Soup Run

14% increase

12,389 meals served

at our Soup Run

20% increase

27%

of people presenting at our Soup Run were in private rented accommodation

Director's Report

Our Director, Dr Dermot Kavanagh, reflects on what we have learned in 2017 with a particular focus on the link between trauma and homelessness, and how we are now taking trauma very much into account in the delivery of all our services.

Chair's Report

Eoin MacCuirc, Chair of our voluntary Board of Directors, highlights the important role the wider community of Cork plays in supporting people who are experiencing the trauma of homelessness.

Restoring Hope

Jack^* tells us his hopes for the future after surviving a life that spiralled out of control – alcohol addiction, poor mental health, the terrifying ordeal of sleeping rough in Cork. The relief of securing a bed in our Aftercare House is giving him every reason to hope.
^*not his real name