Four cllrs to sleep on street to highlight homelessness

A number of Meath County Councillors are set to brave the elements to raise funds for Drogheda Homeless Aid. Cllrs Suzanne Jamal, Seamus O'Neill, Eoin Holmes and Wayne Harding have all agreed to take part in the organisation's annual 'sleep-out' after hearing that 20 per cent of the hostel's residents are from Meath. The hostel accepts residents from all parts of the country but has a special affinity with Louth and Meath. “Due to the fact that we are in south Louth, bordering east Meath, people who are experiencing homelessness in Laytown, Bettystown, Mornington, Duleek and Slane, and sometimes Navan, for example, always make Drogheda Homeless Aid their first port of call,†said Karen Smyth, director of Drogheda Homeless Aid. “In addition, because there is no homeless hostel in Meath, many people who experience homelessness in Navan, Trim, Kells, Athboy and Dunshaughlin end up staying in Drogheda Homeless Aid, as there are no homeless accommodation services available for them in Meath. Drogheda Homeless Aid has been in operation since 1982, providing accommodation and support for homeless men. They provide accommodation in their homeless hostel for over 130 men every year. This year, Drogheda Homeless Aid is under pressure to raise more funds than ever before, due to cuts in its funding, and so has had to come up with a unique idea to promote its cause. The 24-hour sleepout has become an annual event on the steps of St Peter's Church at West Street, Drogheda, every December, and this year it will be held on the weekend before Christmas, from 12 noon on Friday 17th December to 12 noon on Saturday 18th December. “At least 15 of our local public representatives, including four from County Meath, have agreed to brave the elements and sleep out for 24 hours on the steps of St Peter's,†said Ms Smyth. “It's going to be a really cold winter again this year, so I hope they realise what they've got themselves into! It's a great way for us to highlight the problem of homelessness in our community, and hopefully to raise the extra funds that we so badly need.†Anyone who would like to sponsor Drogheda Homeless Aid's sleepout can choose one of the following options: * Lodge your donation directly into the organisation's bank account: Permanent TSB, West Street, Drogheda - Sort code: 990622 Account: 00556721. * Make a donation online at www.mycharity.ie/charity/droghedahomelessaid/ * Make a cash donation to any of its collectors who will be around the centre of Drogheda during the 24 hours of the sleepout. Drogheda Homeless Aid has seen a massive increase in the numbers of people calling to its hostel for help over the past year, in particular. With the downturn in the economy and record unemployment levels, they have seen evidence of many people living on the poverty line. “With so many people losing their jobs in Ireland in the last year, we find that our services have never been in such high demand,†said Ms Smyth. “We urge anyone who is struggling financially and worried about accommodation options, or worried simply about how they are going to feed themselves and their families, to contact us, and please do not feel embarrassed or ashamed about having to use our services, because we are here to help.†Drogheda Homeless Aid can be contacted on (041) 983 4492 and the website is www.dha.ie.