Navan’s only homeless and food poverty drop-in service at risk

A warning that lives would be lost if the Joshua project is Navan closes, was made at a meeting of Navan Municipal Council last week.

The meeting heard that the future of Navan’s only homeless and food poverty Drop-In Service at risk.

The charity, which offers a drop in service for those who need a space to shower, charge phones and avail of tea and coffee, sandwiches or just company has appealed for help in finding a new home, as the lease on its current premises at Kennedy Place expires on 1st January.

At last week's meeting of Navan Municipal Council, Cllr Alan Lawes said: "We cannot afford to lose them. If we lose this service lives will be lost. They do life saving work, they provide a life saving service not alone to those who are homeless but those in emergency accommodation and those in poverty.

“They provide a place where people receive food supports, can have showers, charge their phones, and have someone to talk to. We cannot afford to lose them," he said.

The Mayor, Cllr Padraig Fitzsimons said the Joshua project did great work. "What they do is very much appreciated," he said.

Cllr Eddie Fennessy said the Joshua Project provided a vital community service in Navan.

"I’ve dealt with Liam McNamara and his team since they arrived here, and I have the utmost respect for what they do.

“When faced with poverty and homelessness it can be difficult to find someone who cares and wants to help you to work through your problems. That’s exactly what the Joshua Project do, and they do it very well. Services they provide offer food, showers, laundry and hygiene facilities. Advocacy and assistance with housing and welfare issues and support to access treatment and recovery programmes.

“It is ironic that they now find themselves in the very same situation they’ve worked so hard to prevent for hundreds of families across the county and beyond. This service needs to be retained in Navan and I appeal to anyone out there with a commercial property to make it available as soon as possible.”

Cllr Emer Toibin asked what the charity needed. Founder and Trustee, Liam McNamara, explained that they would need a premises of 2 to 3,000 square feet.

Monica Nelson Head of Operations and Mr McNamara outlined the charity's work at the meeting.

”We work to provide holistic, community-driven support to people facing homelessness, poverty, addiction, and social isolation,"Monica said.

"For many of the people we support; men, women, elderly individuals, and even families, this is the only warm, safe place they have in the town. Every week we meet people who are deeply isolated, living in severe food poverty, or struggling with homelessness. Over the last twelve months alone, we recorded more than 2,000 individual visits and provided over 500 showers to people who simply had nowhere else to go. For them, the Drop-In is not just a service; it is dignity, safety, warmth and human connection," said Monica.

"Our current lease is coming to an end due to development plans for the building, which means we have been formally notified to vacate by 1st January 2026. Because this building houses all our services and programmes, including our Drop-In and New Beginnings Programme, the situation puts Navan’s only homeless and food poverty Drop-In at risk.

"Closure will not remove homelessness or poverty from the town. It will only remove the place where people can find a hot meal, a shower, clean clothes, a listening ear, and the sense that they still matter."

The Drop-In Service opened in 2021 and the supports the provided include food, hygiene facilities, showers, laundry, clothing, tents, and sleeping bags.

It was born in collaboration with the Society of St Vincent de Paul, who were overwhelmed by food poverty needs. Joshua Community initially took on 50 households to deliver food parcels, and this response grew into the full Drop-In service that now supports Navan’s most vulnerable daily.

Other services include the New Beginnings Programme, a 16 week course aimed at helping people back into work. Some 352 have participated so far with 41per progressing into employment, 21 per cent into education and 28 per cent reduced or ended reliance on state supports.