THE SHOW MUST GO ON
DUBLIN SIMON UNVEIL THEIR ‘VIRTUAL’ CHARITY INITIATIVES FOR CHRISTMAS 2020
The annual Simon House of Light event, a three-day festival of light projection and live music show here at the centre, was due to take place this December. What is normally a special night of singing, dancing, and fundraising has sadly been cancelled for this year. In lieu of this, for the duration of December there will contactless donation machines in the centre.
Like many charities in 2020, Dublin Simon has lost out on many fundraisers and a large sum of the donations received are during the festive period. With just one month left of the year, now is the time to dig deep, so we are delighted to shine a light on all the other fundraising endeavours that Dublin Simon will undertake over the next few weeks.
Dublin Simon’s virtual Carolathon takes place this year on December 11th from 6pm until December 12 at 8pm. In total, volunteers will sing for 24 hours — virtually.
Earlier this month, Dublin Simon Community launched the 10th Edition of Scrappy but Happy. Since 2011, The Scrappy but Happy project has showcased the amazing creative talents by people who access Dublin Simon Community’s homeless and housing services with a unique publication and exhibition of artwork and creative writing.
In previous years, the exhibition for Scrappy would have been held here in the centre but as this was not possible this year, they have created a virtual gallery. They are selling copies of the special edition hardback Scrappy but Happy book on their Thriftily store and have prints available to buy too. Link to purchase prints: https://www.thriftify.ie/bric-a-brac.html?cat=2396
At Dublin Simon Community, they recognise the positive impact of meaningful activities on a person’s physical and mental wellbeing. Their Literacy & Personal Development service offers a range of different programmes and classes to the people accessing our services. These include arts & crafts, creative writing, dance, gardening, music, art therapy, guided tours as well as one-to-one tuition in CV writing, literacy, study support and computers. In taking a holistic approach to education they aim to support participants’ individual needs and enable them to achieve their goals. The outcomes from many of these classes feature in the Scrappy but Happy book series.
This year has been exceptionally challenging for everyone, particularly those experiencing homelessness and accessing homeless services.
Covid-19 has brought with it a level of uncertainty that we could never have anticipated. Their team are aware that the continued provision of educational classes and creative activities is key in terms of providing routine, stability and promoting overall wellbeing, particularly during these stressful times. During lockdown, their Literacy & Personal Development service made the switch to remote learning and is currently providing a blended learning service, facilitating classes both over the phone and in person. YouTube tutorials zoom classes and weekly activity packs have also been added into the mix. Much of the artwork and creative writing in this publication was influenced in some way by the pandemic, Dublin Simon hope it will serve as a reminder of the challenges faced and overcome in 2020.