It’s that time again to wish you a Happy New Year and thank you for your support and friendship. I know you would like to hear of recent developments in TRUST:
- We have up to 30 men and women calling each morning, the majority sleeping out, aged 18 to 85. We see new people daily and often have people calling who are housed / settled and became homeless again. We have now extended our opening hours on Monday to Friday, from 9am to 1pm. Roughly 120 outfits of clothing are given out every month, which are donated (socks and underwear are purchased). Washing facilities are also available. We have a chiropody session once a month and have the services of an optician, dentist and local GP’s available to us.
- We continue to work in premises provided at a nominal rent by Iveagh Trust and we enjoy good working relationships with those concerned with the problem of homelessness.
- Paddy Gallagher retired in February ’98 after 12 years due to poor health but keeps in regular contact. He is replaced by Patrick Grogan who is now with us a year.
- Gerladine McAuliffe, a nurse, joined us in October. Evelyn Magee, continues to work part-time in administration. We could not do without Noel and Paddy from upstairs who work voluntarily.
- I was invited to sit on the National Crime Forum by the Minister of Justice and also invited to chair the Sentence Review Group. We are represented on the Consultative Board of the Homeless Initiative.
- We have prepared a one-day training module for statutory and voluntary workers and members of the public who come into contact with people who are, or likely to become, homeless. This will be produced at the end of January with financial assistance from Dublin Corporation.
- A new brochure on TRUST is being prepared and a new logo was designed free of charge for us. This is our first time using it.
- We are currently preparing a documentary video on TRUST for release around Easter 1999.
It was difficult to confine this to a short letter. We are satisfied that the work we do helps to make life easier for some of the most isolated people in our city and beyond. Everyone at TRUST would like to thank you for your help, which makes our work so much easier.
Kind Regards,
Alice Leahy
