Our outreach team works on the street and from our Day Service, supporting men and women sleeping rough, surviving in squats or those who have no other option but to stay with friends – people on the very edge of homelessness.

The team regularly works on the streets here in Cork, from the Rough Sleeper Service every morning in our Day Centre, as well as with the volunteers on our nightly Soup Run.

They support people sleeping rough on the street, in tents or in cars and other vehicles; people surviving in squats, those who have no option but to stay with friends, and people who are at risk of losing their homes.

The team quickly assesses each person’s needs and refers them to the most appropriate services, advocating on their behalf where necessary.

“I was sleeping by a church, by the Simons, anywhere I could get my head down. You would be afraid to go to sleep. Every piece of your body would be sore. No matter how many blankets or what you have around you, the cold gets in. The cold always gets in.” - 'Noreen'

Covid-19

People sleeping rough are among the most marginalised, vulnerable and excluded people in Cork. As such, the Covid-19 pandemic posed a very high risk to their health, safety and wellbeing.

We moved quickly to alert, inform and train our staff and volunteers to address the risks. We immediately introduced essential measures such as social distancing, use of Personal Protective Equipment and hand sanitising.

We worked to make sure everyone we met sleeping rough was constantly reminded of the importance of hand and respiratory hygiene, and the need for social distancing. All of these measures remain in place.

See how Covid-19 has impacted every aspect of our work, and the men and women depending on our services.

Last year our Outreach Team supported 370 men and women sleeping rough here in Cork.