Brian Friel
The Capuchin Day Centre for Homeless People is located on Bow Street in Dublin 7 at the rear of the Capuchin Friary on Church Street. It is an initiative of the Irish Capuchin Franciscan Friars who first came to Ireland in the early 1600’s and have stayed with and supported the Irish people in some of the most difficult times in its history.
The current Capuchin Director of the Centre, Fr Kevin Kiernan OFM Cap, has a keen sense of the role of the Capuchin friars in Irish life and history: “Through persecution, famine, poverty, and pain the friars have always tried to be a comforting and healing presence. They have a long history of advocating for religious freedom and cultural expression and have been a consistent voice for the relief of the poor.”
That voice continues to be heard today through the work of the Capuchin friars across a range of activities in Ireland including hospital chaplaincies, parish work, reflective retreats, an embryonic ecological project and, of course, in and through the work of the Capuchin Day Centre for Homeless People in Bow Street, Dublin.
Hallmark
Fr Kevin and a number of other Capuchin friars provide a pastoral presence that has been a hallmark of the Centre since its foundation.
Much has changed over the 400 years that the Capuchin friars have been in Ireland, but the values that underpin their life and work have remained constant and continue to be expressed in the way they provide services to the people who come to the Capuchin Day Centre.
The Centre was founded in 1969 by one of the Capuchin friars, Bro. Kevin Crowley, as a response to seeing homeless men eating from rubbish bins.
While Bro. Kevin has recently retired, the central role of the Capuchin friars continues unabated. The founding principle of the centre is “to relieve the hardship endured by homeless people”.
Over the course of the last 55 years, the Centre has developed in response to the needs of the homeless population and now offers not just two meals per day, Monday to Saturday, but also food parcels, clothing, showers, as well as a growing range of family services, medical and dental services, and an informal advice and information service.
This unique openness has led to the service becoming a bedrock of homeless services in Dublin and a reliable safety net for some of the most vulnerable in society”
Fr Kevin Kiernan is passionate about the work of the Centre: “Core to the Day Centre’s mission is the absolute unconditionality of access to the majority of services irrespective of age, race, gender, nationality and religious or political beliefs.
“Those who come to the Centre are not asked for any personal information, or about their reasons for accessing services.”
This unique openness has led to the service becoming a bedrock of homeless services in Dublin and a reliable safety net for some of the most vulnerable in society.
Many people would be unaware of the sheer scope and scale of the services provided by the Capuchin Day Centre.
Last year the Centre provided 117,603 hot breakfasts, 195,857 full dinners and distributed 73,527 food parcels. Its family services provided 12,863 packets of nappies and 10,378 containers of baby milk formula alongside 8,926 onsite meals to families.
This programme also provides resources to support children to continue their education providing school bags, supplies such as copies, pens, and uniforms to support the education of children in need to build their resilience and to offset the long-term impacts of poverty on children’s educational opportunities.
The Capuchin Clinic Service in partnership with SafetyNet delivers essential services to support the health and well-being of homeless people through a multi-disciplinary medical team of professionals on site at the Centre including a doctor, nurse, chiropodist, optician, dentist, cancer screening, children’s vaccinations, and a diabetic clinic.
Last year this service supported 3,933 people. The Centre also provided for 7,123 showers for rough sleepers and 380 onsite haircuts with the voluntary support of Haircuts for the Homeless.
Foundations
When asked how the Capuchin Day Centre manages to keep this level of service going, Fr Kevin points to what he believes are the foundations of what happens at the Centre.
“Firstly, our values are our North Star,” he said. “Client-centred, respect and dignity, caring, pastoral, holistic, non-judgemental and responsive to client needs.
“We have a fantastic team of professionally managed staff to ensure that the high volume of services provided are co-ordinated consistently throughout the year and the Centre has also always relied upon the time, energy and commitment of a group of incredible volunteers who support the day-to-day operations of the Centre.
“Of course, we could do nothing without the ongoing support and commitment of our donors who provide the resources that enable us keep going,” Fr Kevin added.
“We very much see ourselves as acting in the role of agents on behalf of our donors and supporters. We know how busy the world is today.
Pressure
“People are under pressure from many sides and not only money, but also time, can be in short supply. For that reason, we see ourselves as acting on their behalf and doing what they would like to do, but simply don’t have the time or capacity to do.
“They are essentially expressing their own values through the work of the Capuchin Day Centre that they support through their donations. That alignment of values is essential in enabling us to do what we do and we are extremely grateful for it.”
Brian Friel is the CEO of the Capuchin Day Centre in Dublin.