‘It could be me or you’: Cork Simon Sleep Out highlights human cost of homelessness
The first ever Sleep Out for Cork Simon in Elizabeth Fort which is helping to raise money for Cork Simon’s Emergency Services this winter. Picture: Alison Miles /OSM PHOTO
“[Homelessness is] not rocket science, it is a solvable problem,” the CEO of Cork Simon said ahead of the organisation’s first-ever Sleep Out.
The fundraising event, held on Friday at Elizabeth Fort off Barrack Street, saw about 30 people sleep outdoors in mild conditions from 6pm to 7am to highlight the growing number of people sleeping rough in Cork.
More than 16,000 people were homeless in Ireland at the end of August, including 5,145 children — a new record for those in emergency accommodation.
In Cork, 679 adults relied on emergency accommodation in August, a 24% increase over 12 months, and the number is expected to rise this winter, according to Cork Simon.
Mr Kavanagh told the Irish Examiner that Friday’s event was a “gesture of solidarity” for those forced to sleep rough. “At the minute, unfortunately, we have seen the homeless numbers grow immensely,” he said.
He added that “homelessness is not a problem that can be solved by Cork Simon alone or by any single government agency alone. It really requires everybody to be involved.
“It is really important to have the local support, the business community and of course of everybody and to also raise awareness because when you find yourself homeless you’re absolutely and totally uprooted.
“If you have no option but to sleep rough, you are prey to all sorts of vulnerabilities and dangers and our goal is we are very keen that the government committed to ending homelessness by 2030. It’s looking harder and harder to achieve that.
“We hope that by having this event, that we will make people very much aware of the issue and also of the fact that it is not rocket science, it is a solvable problem. There are steps that can be taken and with community effort and the right political will, it really can be done."
Jason O’Riordan, who works for the Emergency Services Team at Cork Simon, said: “Homelessness I feel just strips people’s dignity, and it strips people’s respect, self-esteem, self-respect. It tears all those human qualities down to bare nothing.
“We are reaching out sharing our stories, sharing our experiences in a way that will hopefully touch people’s minds and hearts on what it is like to be homeless in Ireland in today’s society,” he said.
Mr O’Riordan, who has worked with the Emergency Shelter for nearly a quarter of a century, said the saddest thing about homelessness is that it could be “me or you” seeking emergency services.
“It could be your neighbour, it could be your friends, family members, it’s a tough one. It’s very sad circumstances, it’s very sad stories, but they are very real human stories that are pretty heartbreaking.
“You could walk down Patrick Street, you could walk down Oliver Plunkett Street, you could find one or two people but behind every statistic there is a life and a real human story.
“And quite often when we hear the statistics in the newspaper or the government give the national figures every month, we do not get to hear the real stories, the human stories.”
Funds raised from the Sleep Out will be used this winter to help Cork Simon support as many homeless people as possible.
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