Pictured at the launch of the Drogheda Homeless Aid (DHA) Christmas Sleepout, which takes place on December 11 th outside St. Peter’s Church in West Street. (from Left): Ben Fox a director of DHA, CEO Mandie Walsh, Mayor of Drogheda Cllr. Declan Power, Senator Alison Comyn, DHA Chairman Noel French and Hubert Murphy of Drogheda Chamber of Commerce. Photos:
Andy Spearman.
The big Drogheda Homeless Aid Christmas Sleepout is on the way back, and the date has been fixed for 11th December.
Volunteers will give up the comfort of their homes to gather in West Street at 9am on Friday and stay there until 9am on Saturday in order to bring home the reality of homelessness and the need for shelter in Louth and Meath.
Funding does come from Louth County Council, Meath County Council and the HSE, but there is a big responsibility on Drogheda Homeless Aid itself to do heavy fundraising throughout the year, especially around Christmas, to help keep the lights and some heat going at our hostel for 27 men and nine houses for families in Louth and Meath.
In short, we depend on the generosity of the people in the region to help us in our task.
The official launch of the fundraising campaign took place at Millmount in Drogheda and the Chairperson of Drogheda Homeless Aid, Noel French, was joined there by DHA Chief Executive Officer Mandie Walsh, DHA Payroll Manager Sue Fitzgerald, DHA Fundraising Coordinator Shelbee Malone, board member Bernard Fox, the Mayor of Drogheda Cllr Declan Power, Senator Alison Comyn, Cllr James Byrne and Hubert Murphy, CEO of Drogheda and District Chamber.
The Mayor said he wanted to acknowledge the tremendous work done by Drogheda Homeless Aid 365 days of the year.
He commended CEO Mandie Walsh and outgoing chair Paul Murphy for their work for the organisation.
He said he was hoping to join in the sleepout himself, having previously taken part in 2022. He remembered it as a very cold and wet night.
There were plenty of people involved and there was great camaraderie among them. He remembered there was very little sleep, but quipped that he remembered a prominent Drogheda Chamber member snoring heavily beside him!
We endured one night, but there are many people who endure this every night. For somebody experiencing homelessness it is an everyday reality with no guarantee where they will sleep tomorrow, and that is a sobering thought.
DHA CEO Mandie Walsh said that as we look forward to December, we all know that winter in Ireland can be harsh, with temperatures of just 5.6 degrees centigrade nationally, while traditionally that month is also the wettest, with 142mm of rainfall.
“Imagine those conditions without a safe, warm place to call home.”
Homelessness is a real issue in Louth and Meath.
Drogheda Homeless Aid is much more than just a bed, and of course that in itself is very important, but it has also created a small community, a place where men can rebuild their confidence, develop life skills and rediscover a sense of purpose and belonging.
DHA Fundraising Coordinator Shelbee Malone, speaking in the lead-up to the fundraising campaign, said the sleepout was one of the most important events in the annual life of Drogheda Homeless Aid.
She asked the whole community to come together in the fight against homelessness and to give badly needed help to those experiencing homelessness.
Pictured at the launch of the Drogheda Homeless Aid (DHA) Christmas Sleepout Cllr. James Byrne, Senator Alison Comyn, Mayor of Drogheda, Cllr. Declan Power, and Hubert Murphy
