Sr Stan, Focus Ireland’s Life President, with Sean Wade, Sarah Moran and their children Zoe and Summer at the launch of Focus Ireland’s Christmas Appeal. Sean and his family were homeless for over two years when they lost their home in the private rented market. Almost 300 families have been helped out of homelessness this year by Focus Ireland, the charity has said at the launch of its annual Christmas Appeal.
Highlighting how over 3,000 children are homeless nationwide, the charity said that while Ireland’s homeless crisis continues to worsen, with a record total of 8374 people now homeless, things would be even worse without the lifeline services and housing Focus provides.
The charity revealed that in the first nine months of this year it supported 12,318 people who were homeless or at risk of losing their home compared to 11,744 in the same period in 2016. Over the same January to September period it helped 290 families – including 556 children – out of homelessness, up from 230 families over the same period last year.
“They are our children too and we have a duty as a society to provide a safe home for them,” Sr Stan said.