Over 300 sleeping bags were handed over today to Dublin’s homeless people sleeping rough on the streets of the city.
The sleeping bags were provided by young people from the west Dublin suburb of Castleknock for the Peter McVerry Trust to ensure rough sleepers had sufficient stocks to last until Christmas.
The handover was organised by Localise, an NGO which engages with young people through its “giveback” programme, in association with Halfords, the retail chain. Senator Eamonn Coghlan was present on the night to launch the handover. Forty members of Castleknock Localise branch raised €2,000 locally to help in funding the sleeping bags.
The Castleknock Localise members formed a human chain to illustrate solidarity with the homeless when handing over the sleeping bags to the Peter McVerry Trust.
Localise Director Derek Cleary said: “Giving back is the way forward in 2015 and 2016 and our young people are very aware of their responsibility in community involvement and helping those in need. By providing new sleeping bags now we can at least go some small way to ensure rough sleepers are warm coming up to and during Christmas.”
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