Act of highly organised ‘civil disobedience’ and humanity
“We’ll give you a hand,” answered the volunteers.
“No, you’re all right, me fella’s in the car and I have the kids, as well,” she replied. And with that, her two young children began carrying loaves of bread, cash-and-carry-sized boxes of tea bags, and packets of teacakes into Apollo House.
“They bought them with their birthday money,” her “fella” said, as the face-painted children handed over loaves of bread to the waiting volunteers.
This family were but some of the many Irish citizens who have donated food, clothing, and supplies to the new residents of Apollo House, since news broke about the homelessness initiative, last Friday.
The takeover of a vacant building in the capital, to house the homeless, was organised by the Irish Housing Network and various trade unionists, but under the name Home Sweet Home.
Home Sweet Home has been so inundated with donations that they issued a statement, last night, saying they were ceasing taking any more, “for now.”
However, anyone wishing to donate a bed is to contact them through their Home Sweet Home Facebook page.
At the time of writing, the initiative had raised €80,000 on a GoFundMe page and its petition to government had nearly 20,000 signatures.
Plumbers, electricians, and carpenters have all donated their time to ensure that the building, which is now home to 15 people, was habitable, and, yesterday, the heating in the entire premises was turned on.
This highly organised act of “civil disobedience” has been months in the planning.
Michelle Connolly, one of the high-vis-wearing and walkie-talkie-carrying volunteers, told the Irish Examiner that there was a rota in place for professionals who want to lend their skills and “do a shift.”
“We could do with support workers, so anyone who has any kind of background in social care [is needed]. We want to provide the best possible standard of care to the people who are in here,” Ms Connolly said.
Joe Dunne, who works in construction, was one of the many van drivers in a queue yesterday afternoon, dropping off goods.
“I was cleaning out apartments and decided to donate fridges and washing machines. What they’re doing is illegal, but it’s a matter of social justice and sometimes the law doesn’t necessarily mean justice,” he said.
