Welcome to our Spring E-Newsletter, where you can catch up on the latest developments in Peter McVerry Trust, including our ongoing response to the Covid-19 pandemic, our continued delivery of housing and services, personal stories from the people we support, and our upcoming fundraising initiatives you can get involved in.
"I hope that all of our supporters, and their friends and families are safe and well. It is undoubtedly a difficult time for many in society, and we appreciate that those of you reading this newsletter are facing your own challenges at this time. We don't, nor have we ever, taken your support for granted."
Since the onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic, Peter McVerry Trust has supported over 3,500 additional people.
People have been supported across a range of new services delivered by Peter McVerry Trust with the largest number of additional people supported in our Covid-19 isolation service in Dublin.
This service has seen over 1,800 people from homeless services other than Peter McVerry Trust’s access our service, which provides a range of social care and medical supports for people isolating, cocooning and those who have tested positive for Covid-19.
It has catered for families, couples and single people, and continues to operate.
In 2021, Peter McVerry Trust is working to deliver homes in 28 of the 31 Local Authorities across Ireland and the charity has a pipeline of over 300 units throughout the country.
One of those projects is our first new-build apartment scheme on New Street South in Dublin City, which is a major milestone for the organisation.
Formerly a long-term vacant DCC site, this development is comprised of eight apartments – five one-bedroom units and three two-bedroom units – which will provide high-quality social housing for people on local housing waiting lists.
In 2020, Peter McVerry Trust supported over 2,400 women across Ireland. This was the largest number of women supported in any calendar year.
Thankfully, the largest group of women supported in 2020 were in our housing and housing support services with over 740 women helped.
We also supported women who were in need of emergency accommodation, information and advice, as well as our addiction and treatment services.
More than ever, we need our supporters, their friends, families and colleagues to become our fundraising heroes.
We’re delighted to share the stories of Mary and Mick in this edition of the Opening Doors newsletter.
Mary moved into her own home in Offaly in December after we secured ten apartments on long-term lease in partnership with Offaly County Council, while Mick got the key to his home in Westmeath during Christmas week. He is one of 11 people we supported out of long-term homelessness in the Midlands in 2020 through our Housing First programme.
Mary and Mick are receiving ongoing support from Peter McVerry Trust’s Housing With Supports team and regional Housing First team, respectively.
We’re delighted to announce that our Graduate Programme 2021 is open for applications ahead of a June 2021 start.
Every year we have welcomed over 40 graduates from all over Ireland who have worked with some of the most vulnerable people in our society and offered them pathways out of homelessness.
We have opportunities to work with us right across Ireland and welcome applications from people from a variety of educational qualifications.
As many of our supporters will know, Fr McVerry’s work started by supporting children impacted by homelessness in Dublin’s inner city.
Today, over 40 years later, the charity continues to meet the needs of young people who are in the care of the State.
In early 2021, Peter McVerry Trust extended our supports and services in this area, in partnership with TUSLA. This included the first of two new emergency placement services for young people in Dublin.
We have relaunched our educational resource website aimed at students researching the issue of homelessness.
