'My dogs are so good because they are filled with love': three ways you can help others this Christmas
Dogs For The Disabled trains dogs for lifelong partnerships with children with disabilities.
Ed has been on his own for the last 30 years since his wife died. He moved to SHARE this year when his own accommodation became unsuitable. He says of SHARE, "It's grand here, there's no messing. Everyone knows everyone. There's a sense of community. Everything is looked after. The students call every week and offer to help out or to see if we need anything in the shops. It's nice. I go to the shops myself, but it's great to have them. Christmas will be different this year, God answered me, thanks be to God."
Founded in 1970 by students of Presentation Brothers College, Cork, SHARE (Students Harness Aid for the Relief of the Elderly) provides a unique link between students and the elderly. It has created a blueprint for positive engagement between students and the elderly community and is an integral part of Cork - city and culture.
It runs 140 homes in the area, across seven different locations. Students visit these homes on a weekly basis, offering much sought-after social engagement. In addition to this, the Brother Jerome Day Care Centre caters for up to 125 clients each week (with the exception of Covid-19 restriction periods), offering a social environment, hot meals, fun and activities.
This year their Christmas fundraising is starting a little later than usual, and last night The traditional blessing of the iconic SHARE crib took place, signalling the beginning of their Christmas campaign. Over the next two weeks, hundreds of students from schools across the City will don the familiar yellow jackets and rally to fundraise for the charity.
Sean Barrett, head of Tech for SHARE has been developing the safest mechanism for donations this year, in 'Tap To Donate' boxes, which will be live on the streets from today. Barrett says of his experience with the charity, "it's opened my eyes to the elderly in our community I'm thankful for our weekly visits and what that has taught me."
Since March, ALONE - the organisation that supports older people to age at home - have received over 37,000 calls from older people to their National Support Line.
Sean Moynihan, CEO of ALONE, says the increase has been exponential. “Last year ALONE was supporting just over 5,000 older people; that figure has increased by 300% in just 12 months. We want to celebrate all we have accomplished to support older people to date with the support of the public’s support, we look forward to continuing towards achieving our strategic goals so that every older person has the opportunity to age at home, happily and securely with the care and support they need.”
This Christmas, the charity is urging people to Give A Helping Hand to older people in their lives who may be finding the festive season difficult this year and to consider donating to ALONE this Christmas to ensure that the organisation can continue its work with older people who are struggling during the winter.
On a practical level, there are lots of things we can do to make our elders feel loved. The charity suggests checking in every day, to make sure that those older members of our community are feeling well, warm and have enough supplies to keep the house at a comfortable temperature.
Raising funds is extremely important, says Moynihan. “We are delighted to be able to help so many older people when they need it most, which would not be possible without the support we receive from the public. We are asking that this support continues so that we can sustain the delivery of important services nationwide. Many older people are often embarrassed to reach out and think that by asking for help and support they are bothering people. ALONE want them to know that they deserve the support they require and should not be afraid to ask for help if needed.”
If it's cuteness you crave, then look no further than Dogs For The Disabled. Founded in 2007, the organisation supplies 25 fully trained assistance dogs each year to their profoundly disabled partners.
"It's been a tough year on many levels for us," says volunteer Kate Durrant. "The dogs are trained specifically for the child they will be partnered with for the rest of their lives, and because of Covid, partner training had to come to a halt. This is because a lot of the children are medically challenged and need to be kept safe."
The charity urgently requires puppy socialisers and boarders. "People are really kind," says Kate. "But you could have puppies who need a home for a short stay while their partner is in hospital, for example. So we need foster homes and it takes a special kind of person to mind a dog, knowing that you will have to give them back."
If you want to help Dogs For The Disabled, they have lots of great options on from sponsoring a dog, to paying for vaccinations or even buying their super cute calendar for next year.
CEO Jennifer Dowler says that when it comes to the beautiful animals who come through her organisation, love is the most important ingredient in their success. "I always say that my dogs are so good because they are filled with love, and they are! They are filled with buckets and buckets of love."
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
