12.10.2018
Dublin & Glendalough Synods Supports Homelessness Charity
Dublin & Glendalough Synods broke with tradition this year. Instead of having a full catered meal, members enjoyed soup and sandwiches in support of homelessness and addiction charity, Tiglin. In return for a donation, Tiglin provided members with the same food they serve from their No Bucks Café bus which caters for homeless people on the streets of Dublin and its suburbs.
The initiative was organised by the Revd Niall Stratford who said members were offered the opportunity to do something practical at Synod to assist those less fortunate. “Instead of indulging in a full catered meal, we could experience at first hand what they experience on a daily basis. They don’t have a choice – but we do. So why don’t we consciously exercise our choice: not to have a lavish meal,” he explained. Approximately €2,000 was raised for Tiglin.
Tiglin’s CEO, Phil Thompson, addressed Synod members at their gathering in Temple Carrig School in Greystones on Tuesday evening. He explained the background to Tiglin and said that having worked in the area of homelessness he observed that for many many people, it was addiction that had brought them to the streets.
He said that there were now about 10,000 people registered homeless, with 4,000 of those being children. He was keen to point out that there were many different reasons for people becoming homeless but that the cohort Tiglin sought to help was those trapped in addiction. It was mostly this cohort who could be seen sleeping on the streets, he said and it was mostly these people who used the No Bucks Café.
“The No Bucks Café bus is often the first port of call for people. We hand out food but the real goal is establishing trust and building relationships to encourage people to find a way out of addiction,” Phil stated. “The food you will have tonight is typically what is provided by No Bucks four nights a week. We meet about 100 people each night.”
Tiglin, which largely relies on charitable donations, runs a programme which is focused on education but has a spiritual core based on Christian principals. Up to 100 people are involved in its programme at any one time.
Tiglin’s staff and volunteers were out working on the No Bucks Café on the night so students from Temple Carrig stepped in and cheerfully served the soup and sandwiches to members. Tiglin is the school’s nominated charity this year.