Mon, 21 December 2015
Every day this year in Ireland at least two families lost their home and became homeless. To help combat the crisis, TV3 and Focus Ireland teamed up for a major fundraising campaign to raise awareness and funds.
TV3 presenters and well-known faces are getting behind the campaign in order to raise money and achieve a potential Guinness World Record!
The campaign also encourages people to show their ‘Hand4Homelessness’ along with a text donation of €2 to Focus Ireland.
Some of TV3’s most popular stars, including Xposè’s Glenda Gilson, Karen Koster, Peter O’Riordan, Lisa Cannon and the cast of TV3’s hit soap Red Rock, including Denise McCormack, Cathy Belton, David Crowley, Pandora McCormick, Valerie O’Connor, Adam Weafer, India Mullen, Jack Nolan, Darren Cahill, Roisin O’Donovan and Andrea Irvine were at Bank Of Ireland, College Green this Monday (21st December) to attempt to break a Guinness World Record and lend their support for TV3 and Focus Ireland’s ‘#Hand4Homelessness’ campaign.
Other familiar faces on hand to, quite literally, lend a hand at the initiative throughout the day include Irish rugby legend Shane Byrne, retired Irish footballer Paddy Mulligan, model Teodora Sutra, Cocoa Brown’s Marissa Carter, Ireland AM’s Ciara Doherty, Deric Hartigan and a host of Midday and Ireland AM contributors.
You can show your hand of support by taking a short video or picture showing your unique ‘Hand4Homelessness’ and texting “HAND” to 50300 to donate €2.
Family homelessness is now at a crisis not seen in recent times in Ireland. More than 1500 children and their 800 families are currently homeless living in unsuitable emergency accommodation in B&B’s and hotel rooms, with whole families often confined to a single room without adequate cooking facilities or somewhere safe for children to play. Living in these circumstances puts a lot of stress on any family. Often it impacts on children the most. It can cause anxiety, health and nutrition problems. It also sees some children falling behind in school and makes it almost impossible for the wider family to continue as normal in daily life.
Focus Ireland’s family team works to provide vital support for families and children who are homeless in these terrible situations, and this work helps up to 20 families who are homeless to secure a home each month and move on. However, at the same time 70 to 80 new families are still becoming homeless every month along with many single people and Focus Ireland need public support to make sure their services can meet this rising need.
For more information on how you can take part simply log onto www.TV3.ie/hand4homelessness, or join the campaign socially by texting “HAND”, alongside a pic of you or someone you love showing your ‘hand of support’ to 50300. Each text will automatically donate €2 to Focus Ireland.*
Remember to pass your nomination on to your friends and family to encourage them to also show their ‘Hand4Homelessness’ by taking a video or pic and texting “HAND” to 50300 to donate €2 to Focus Ireland.
