Sleep out taking place to highlight homelessness
By Maurice Garvey
A SLEEP out is taking placing today (Friday) and tonight (Saturday) outside the Clondalkin Civic offices to highlight homelessness in the area - residents are encouraged to bring along donations for a shoebox appeal.
Organised by Dave Moore and Tony Kelly from Clondalkin and Lucan Homeless Hub, they have been at the location since 10am this morning, and will remain there until 10am Saturday morning.
A sleep out is taking placing outside the Clondalkin Civic offices to highlight homelessness in the area
The Clondalkin and Lucan Hub hold weekly stalls in Clondalkin Village to assist homeless people between 8pm to 9pm.
Mr Kelly said: “We are asking people to make up a small parcel or shoe box and place in it a toy of their choice and mark boy or girl on the box. Also, we are asking people to make up a similar parcel containing toiletries, and mark it for a man or a woman.
“Our sleep out will commence when the council offices close for business, but people can bring along any donations that they wish to make to our stall until 10am tomorrow morning.”
Kelly said the stall recently fed a couple with a pregnant mother and a 18-month-old child.
“After we fed them, they got on a bus into town to get a bed for the night in a hostel in Gardiner Street. I was appalled that any child protection unit or authority in 2018 would allow an 18-month-old child to be sleeping out.”
