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FICC Patron Sodexo donates €150,000 to new Focus Ireland Family Centre
On-site services provider Sodexo Ireland is entering into a new partnership with Focus Ireland and providing €150,000 for the housing and homelessness charity’s new purpose-built Family Centre in Dublin.
The Family Centre will welcome the first families during Christmas week and the full-service provision will open in early 2020.At the announcement were Julie Ennis, country president, Sodexo Ireland, Celine D’Arcy, senior legal counsel and charity champion, Sodexo Ireland, Amy Carr, head of partnerships and philanthropy, Focus Ireland and Alison Cullen, catering team leader, Focus Ireland.
It was the first corporate donation received for the Centre and the funds will be provided over three years via Sodexo’s Stop Hunger global initiative and employee fundraising activities in Ireland. Sodexo’s funding is a continuation of its support of the Focus Ireland coffee shop, from where the need for a purpose-built Family Centre evolved, as the charity identified the lack of specific services for families who are homeless.
Julie Ennis, country president, Sodexo Ireland said “Sodexo’s Stop Hunger is a global initiative that has made women empowerment one of its priorities. Sodexo Ireland has been partnering with Focus Ireland for several years and we have seen the positive impact of the work they do. We are very proud to give our financial support for this much needed Family Centre, which will support the most vulnerable families experiencing homelessness.“
The Focus Ireland Family Centre is part of the charity’s extensive response to the deepening homelessness crisis. The number of families homeless in Dublin has shot up by a staggering 314% in the last five years, from a total of 307 in October 2014 to 1270 this October. Focus Ireland supports over 600 families who are homeless in Dublin and the new centre will help the most vulnerable families – some of whom only have access to emergency accommodation on a night by night basis.
The Family Centre will provide a space where children can be looked after while their parents receive support from Focus Ireland staff. This service will work to support the needs of families who are homeless and help to find them a home as quickly as possible. The family centre will bring together in one location, case management, key worker, child support workers, child care, catering and will provide the daily needs of a family such as warm nutritious meals, a safe space to sit together to eat them, laundry facilities and uniquely, a child care drop in service where parents can work with case managers, receive the help and support they need while their child is in a safe, secure and bespoke built area for them.
Pat Dennigan, CEO of Focus Ireland said: “Focus Ireland has not yet has received any State funding for the family centre so this is why the amazing support by Sodexo is so vital to help us carry out this work to help protect families and their children from the trauma of homelessness. Being homeless hurts children the most. That is why there will be specially trained Focus Ireland child support workers based in the centre to help protect children from damage caused by being homeless. We need all the donations and support at this time of year to make sure we are there when people need our help.”
Speaking about the Family Centre he added: “While we have had to set up this centre to help families while they are homeless, the long-term solution is that we urgently need more social housing to end this crisis.”
Focus Ireland works with people who are homeless or at risk of losing their homes across Ireland. The charity offers individuals and families advice, support, education and housing to help people to have and keep a home. Focus Ireland believes that everyone has a right to a place they can call home and we campaign to address the causes of homelessness. In 2018 Focus Ireland worked with over 15,500 people. The charity supported 1,600 families who were homeless and were able to move over 500 families out of homelessness for good.
Sodexo is a leading provider of food and facilities management services to clients in business and industry, education, financial services, government services and healthcare and employs approximately 3,700 people in 230 locations on the island of Ireland. It is part of the Sodexo Group, the world’s largest services company.
Please donate at www.focusireland.ie or Phone: 1850 204 205
Picture: l/r: Amy Carr, head of partnerships and philanthropy, Focus Ireland, Celine D’Arcy, senior legal counsel and charity champion, Sodexo Ireland, Alison Cullen, catering team leader, Focus Ireland and Julie Ennis, country president, Sodexo Ireland