How Your Support Makes a Difference

137

Leaders

23000

Hours

€1m

Raised

Since 2012, COPE Galway has been bringing business leaders together to experience a winter’s night on our streets and to raise funds for COPE Galway’s homeless services. Through the years the Business Leaders’ Sleep Out has raised over €1.25m for COPE Galway’s homeless services. The funds raised year on year strengthen our service offering, improve the quality of our facilities and also make a very direct and practical impact on the daily lives of our clients.

Watch the collection of videos below to learn more about the lasting impact that the COPE Galway Business Leaders’ Sleep Out has in Galway

Sinéad Carey, Head of Homeless Services at COPE Galway talks about how the funds raised in 2021 have made a direct impact in the daily lives of people supported by COPE Galway.

Paula and Helena, key workers at COPE Galway’s Osterley Lodge for women share their experiences and reflections from working in the service. Fundraising enables COPE Galway to provide additional activities and supports to clients to help them establish themselves in the community again and move on from homelessness.

In this short video Sinéad and Helena reflect on the cost of living crisis and how this is being felt day-to-day especially by people living in emergency accommodation.

Donal Murphy took part in the Business Leaders’ Sleep Out in 2021 and in this video he reflects on his experiences from the night and muses over the contrast in reality that a person who is homeless faces in compared to his own decision processes on the night .

Sinéad talks about how homelessness is particularly difficult for a family to face. Parents feel the burden of guilt over their circumstances, and it becomes difficult to keep day-to-day commitments ticking over, to maintain a routine and provide adequate nutrition for kids.

Bríd Ní Chonghóile took part in the Business Leaders’ Sleep Out in 2016 and in this video she reflects on her memories that have stayed with her of that night.

With these funds we have been able to expand our services and introduce new projects and programmes such as these:

Supported Community Based Houses

We have been able to increase the number of supported, community-based houses for single people who are moving on from emergency accommodation

Rough Sleeper Street Outreach

Providing street outreach support to those sleeping rough in Galway city. Early in the morning, COPE Galway staff identify and engage with people sleeping rough and link them with health and accommodation services.

Moving Out of Homelessness

Supporting people to secure accommodation, setup their homes and sustain independent living

Skills Development

At COPE Galway we keep a focus on our models of care and we are embracing more innovative ways of working. This year all staff were offered training in Trauma Informed Care so we can effectively support people in our care who have experienced trauma and who are experiencing further trauma through their homelessness.