Dublin Simon Community Care Package Appeal - Christmas 2019

20/12/2019

In collaboration with Terenure Presentation Community College transition year students as part of their Localise volunteering programme, UCD in the Community ran the annual care package appeal for the rough sleepers of Dublin Simon Community at various collection points across both the Belfield and Smurfit campuses from December 2 - 12. From the essential items collected, we created care packages with the Transition Year students of Terenure Presentation Community College for the Dublin Simon rough sleepers of the north and south inner city, with the support of Dublin Simon's Rough Sleeper Team on December 17. Essential items requested for the care packages included toiletries, deodorant sets, toothbrush, toothpaste, socks, hairbrush/combs, small shampoo/shower gels, baby wipes, tissues, disposable razors, shaving gel, wallets, small radios with headphones, bags/backpacks, chocolates, hats/scarves/gloves, small torches, yoga mats, jumpers, hand sanitiser and perfume. Novelty Christmas items and treats were also accepted.

We wish to extend our thanks to the following colleagues, schools and locations for allowing us to place a collection box in their respective locations:

• UCD Student Advisers, in particular Aisling O' Grady, Carita Bramhill, Nadia Clarkin, Emmet Jordan-Kelly, Jacqueline Levine, James Ronan, Letizia Vettor and Anna Scully;
• Jenny Doyle, UCD Access and Lifelong Learning;
• Programme Office, UCD College of Engineering & Architecture;
• Aoife Redmond, Kate Bruton, Linda Stone, UCD College of Social Sciences and Law;
• Emer Cunningham, UCD Legal Office;
• Svetlana Malceva, UCD Lochlann Quinn School of Business;
• Helen Larkin, Felicity McGovern, Programme Office, UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School;
• Shannon Ellison, Ciara McCabe, Catherine McDonnell, Nessa O' Shaughnessy, UCD Registry;
• Oksana Osiniene, UCD Sutherland School of Law.

In addition, we wish to extend a sincere thank you to the following people, for all their help, support and donations:

• Margaret Dempsey, UCD Central Transport Pool;
• Lorna Byrne, UCD Explore;
• Tara Byrne, UCD Institute for Discovery;
• Alan Collins, It's Promotions;
• Carole Byrne, UCD Science Office;
• John J Kennedy, UCD School of Earth Sciences;
• Ms. Dignam’s CSPE classes, 1E, 2D & 3D, St. Joseph’s Mercy Navan;
• Eileen Shields.

The UCD in the Community team wish to extend our sincere thanks to all UCD students and employees who contributed items to the appeal. Your generosity and donations of thousands of essential items, allowed us to create a phenomenal 261 care packages for the Dublin Simon rough sleepers. These will be given to individuals throughout December and through the first three months of 2020.

You can watch a short video showing some of the excitement from the day in the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMHuDjJWXXU&feature=emb_title