Fundraiser for Waterford Helping the Homeless

Hello, I would like to introduce you to Waterford Helping the Homeless. Waterford Helping the Homeless is a volunteer-run service for homeless people in Waterford in operation since 2019.

The service operates 365 days of the year out of the Maranatha Centre in Railway Square in Waterford City.

Waterford Helping the Homeless receives absolutely no funding from the government. All funds for the service come from fundraising events and donations from the public and some local businesses and all money donated goes directly to our homeless community.

The group of volunteers refer to themselves as a Committee and they make all decisions together. Nobody involved in Waterford Helping the Homeless earns a salary, everyone involved is a volunteer and the volunteers donate their time, their money and their resources but they really need your help.

The volunteers and homeless community acknowledge all of the very kind donations from members of the public since the service began in 2019, without support from the public, the volunteers would be unable to provide for our homeless community.

Waterford Helping the Homeless provides breakfast between 11am and 1pm Monday – Saturday and they provide dinner between 5pm and 7pm on Saturday and Sunday. 

This service runs 365 days a year, including an extended dinner service on Christmas Day, when the Centre opens from 2pm until around 7pm. The service on Christmas Day is really special, Christmas dinner is provided and the volunteers decorate the Centre, music is played, there's also karaoke and everyone who visits the Centre on Christmas Day gets to enjoy some festive cheer and somewhere cosy to spend a few hours. Our homeless friends then have to return to the rain and cold and try to find somewhere to spend the night, sometimes that means finding a doorway with some shelter or a tent on soggy ground.

The volunteers provide hot drinks and meals and through donations from members of the public and some businesses, the volunteers also provide (dependent on donations) clothing and footwear, socks, hats, scarves and gloves, toiletries and personal care items and, tents and sleeping bags.

The volunteers who run the service refer to the service users as “our homeless friends” because, through the community built up with our homeless friends, the volunteers have become their friends, confidantes, and a life line for so many vulnerable people. For many of the people who access the service, the volunteers and the homeless community are their family and the Centre in Railway Square is the only warm place they can visit each day for a couple of hours.

The volunteers who run the service put their hearts and souls into it and because of what they pour in, the service is very busy. While the service is primarily accessed by our homeless friends, people who are struggling to make ends meet and people who are just lonely and just want some company also visit the Centre.

The volunteers also check in with our homeless friends in the community and provide support, sometimes that means a phone call, sometimes that means a drive around to get eyes on someone. There are many reasons why someone may be unable to physically attend the Centre but still need help from the service.

While the service is primarily for the provision of meals, not to mention, many many hot drinks, the volunteers also assist our homeless friends in a variety of ways.

A lot of what the volunteers do is talk therapy, over a hot drink with a listening ear and without judgment. Sometimes all it takes to unburden a person is a chat with a friend, other times, our homeless friends need help with more serious issues.

The volunteers have built up a wealth of knowledge over the past 5 years so they are able to assist our homeless friends in many ways, including accessing and navigating substance use disorder services and mental health services. Our homeless friends are more likely to have difficulty accessing these services so, having an advocate to guide them is so helpful.

Each week, hundreds of cups of tea and coffee are served at the Centre - the money spent on teabags, coffee, sugar and milk alone is a significant outgoing.

In order for Waterford Helping the Homeless to continue supporting our homeless community, they need your help. No donation is too small and all money goes to utility bills for the Centre, food and drinks, dining ware, utensils and other items for our homeless friends. There is no CEO earning a fat salary from money donated by the public, every cent goes to our homeless community.

If you would like to know more about Waterford Helping the Homeless, please visit their Facebook page "Waterford Helping the Homeless".

Please share this gofundme with your friends and family, please post on your social media, please help us reach as many people as possible.

Thank you,

Victor

Waterford Helping the Homeless