Page 14 - Tiglin Newsletter December 2022

14 TIGLIN | Newsletter 2022
Aubrey McCarthy with volunteers from Salesforce at the Light House in Dublin
Homeless Outreach
The year 2022 marks a period of both transition and growth for Tiglin’s homeless outreach at the Light House. As you may
be familiar, the last two years have been particularly tricky when it came to interacting with our guests.
As the restrictions have lessened, we have been able to open the doors and welcome our guests indoors. We have also extended our service
to include four evening services: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, where we are open from 7.00pm - 10.00pm.
In addition, our referral team has grown as we continue to assist our clients with accessing various services, including emergency accommodation and long-term housing, access to medical cards, and pre-rehab support groups for men and women. A significant service improvement has been the tranformation of our frontline service at the Light House as an entry point to our rehabilitation centres and other addiction services.
Tiglin and the Light House aim to create a warm, safe and friendly space for our homeless service users. Our most recent initiative is our Friday Night Cinema for homeless individuals. These cinema nights have welcomed up to 50 people for
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a single evening. There is a popcorn machine, as well as sweets and fizzy drinks to create an authentic cinema experience. The feedback has been phenomenal, with movie suggestions weeks in advance.
A huge thanks also to Salesforce, who have generously donated tables and chairs, which have already hosted countless meals and many positive conversations and connections.
In addition, Tiglin also welcomed many visitors to the Light House, including the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Caroline Conroy, and Senators and local TDs. Just recently, Senator Mary Fitzpatrick, a spokesperson on Housing, Local Government & Heritage, paid us a visit at the café. While here, Mary explained that the responsibility to create adequate legislation lies with her and her colleagues, while it is up to organisations on the ground, such as Tiglin, to deliver these vital services.
Tiglin’s connection with the Irish Refugee Council has also brought many new additions to our community. There are now ten new volunteers from Algeria and elsewhere, two of whom are our new barbers.
The whole team wishes to say a big thank you to all who support us. There is still room to improve and explore. We hope to have your support as we continue this journey.