Society of St Vincent de Paul
EAST REGION NEWS
JULY 2020
SVP EAST REGION QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
There must be frequent communications which provide us with good examples and joy in the success of each one. Blessed Frederic Ozanam
MESSAGE FROM THE OUTGOING EAST REGION PRESIDENT
Dear members, staff and volunteers, Thank you for taking time to read our latest East Region Newsletter. The last few months have been challenging and unprecedented times for us all. Both within our roles in the Society of St Vincent de Paul and in our own lives. I was encouraged when reading this newsletter to hear about all the ways in which SVP members, volunteers, staff and services have adapted to the challenge presented by the COVID 19 pandemic. You have found innovative ways to continue to provide support; continuing to demonstrate your concern for those in need, while taking the necessary steps to safeguard your own health and that of others. Your kindness and compassion are evident in all the steps you have taken to continue to work towards our mission. While we may have been physically distant from one another, you have still been a real and effective presence for the Society and those we seek to support. Our own personal safety and consequently the safety of our family members at this time is our top priority and its vital we follow all the recommended guidelines; wear masks and/or visors, wash our hands, use the hand sanitizers and maintain Social Distancing at all times. I appreciate that it can be difficult to adhere to at all times but we must maintain the highest standards. We are dealing with the greatest health crisis in the history of the state. To any member and staff member who lost a loved one due to the virus, our heartfelt sympathies at this time. The burden of not having the support of friends and relatives at these funerals has been very heavy. This will be my last editorial as East Region President. It has been an honour to serve in this role for the last five years. I would like to thank the Board and all involved in SVP for their invaluable support. To all staff at National Office level, to all our colleagues in Shared Services, to all our colleagues in East Region Retail I extend my thanks for your help and assistance over the past five years. I will be writing to all of you shortly to express my gratitude. I would also like to welcome the new East Region President, Marie Cronin and the new Board. I have no doubt that they will guide the Region to continue to provide Support & Friendship, promote Self-Sufficiency and work for Social Justice. Yours Fraternally,
SVP House 91/92 Sean McDermott Street Dublin 1 info.east@svp.ie (01) 8550022
IN THIS ISSUE Requests for assistance Young SVP at home Vincent's Shops go online Keeping Children Safe WordPower Fundraising news Social Justice Update Ozanam House Kildare Daycare Centre St Benedict's Housing Scheme
SVP CONTINUES TO RESPOND TO REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE Linda Kenny
Working from home is quite challenging especially for a helpline service. You miss the interaction/support of your colleagues especially if you receive an upsetting call. We have started having a weekly team meet up online which is helping all the Team, work well together and settle in working from home. The real challenge is having no volunteers helping out- this is a vital resource to the Team we are down significant hours which puts a lot of strain on the four ISO’s answering the phone. First time callers have gone up. Unfortunately, SVP was approached for funeral cost help in relation to 3 deaths by COVID 19 for help towards funeral costs. The members were excellent in assisting with these and other funeral assistance during this traumatic time. Elderly vulnerable people like a listening ear and cannot be rushed off a phone; you might be the only link they have had to talk to during their day. We are looking at a more compatible phone system which will work in the office and be suitable to work from home which will make a huge difference. There will be challenges in the future for our volunteers, dealing with requests for assistance. Requests through the web have also increased. The ISO’s working on Web requests find this equally as challenging as ISO’s on the phone, especially for first time callers and persons with language barriers. The response from the members has been terrific,working under challenging circumstances during COVID 19. Some members who had to cocoon, helped by doing up envelopes for clients and phoning clients, then another volunteer would arrange to pick up the envelopes, following social distancing rules, working as a team. Other agencies are working well with SVP and are very pleased that SVP still offering a vital service in the community. Calls from third parties increased, with those calling being very pleased to talk to an ISO with the phone service we provide in SVP. I would like to finish off by giving praise to the ISO Team working extremely hard to support the clients and members under challenging circumstances.
ANNUAL REPORTS Claire Friel
With regards to the Annual Reports, we have almost all of the reports submitted now, which is great. I’d like to thank everyone who has submitted their Annual Report so far. It has been great to see now that some people have some extra time, they’ve used it to further familiarise themselves with Agresso, getting more comfortable with using it. We had planned to organise training sessions in March/ April but unfortunately they have been put on hold now with a new time frame to be arranged when things become somewhat clearer with guidance on social distancing.
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YOUNG SVP AT HOME Clare Mander
With the closure of school & college buildings, Young SVP in the East has joined the national Young SVP approach (#youngsvpathome) to continue to engage with young people, teachers and schools through the Young SVP social media accounts. This has taken the form of: challenges themed around support & friendship and sustainability, Wellness Wednesday (self care information for Young SVP members), Netflix parties watching social justice themed films (followed by a discussion of the issues raised), polls and quizzes and offering of resources and support for teachers (to help with their virtual classrooms). Young SVP members responded to an online appeal for items to create care packs for staff in SVP Homeless Services. Young SVP members from the East Region also contributed photos for the music video compiled by Young SVP South East to let everyone know that 'You Are Not Alone'. The latest initiative is 'Young SVP Connects' where Young SVP members around the country are attending online meetings facilitated by the Youth Development Team.
VIRTUAL YOUTH DAY As the East Region Youth Day could not go ahead, instead we marked the day (30th April) on the Young SVP social media accounts @youngsvpofficial on Instagram and @Young_SVP on Twitter. We wanted the young people, teachers and schools to feel supported and acknowledged and to link in with the #youngsvpathome approach being taken by Young SVP nationally, to encourage Young SVP members to stay connected during this time. The day took the format of a series of photos and videos looking back at Young SVP in the East this year, including, the Kildare & Wicklow Get Together, the One World Week Event, the Survive on 5 Challenge, Young SVP workshops and the actions undertaken by Young SVP groups. We also included video messages from Regional President Liam Casey and from YDO Clare Mander and a thank you to all the College Conferences in the Region. We finished the day by ‘virtually presenting a certificate of achievement to all the East Region Young SVP groups. There was good attention for the day on social media, with likes,retweets and new followers. One school organised a virtual Young SVP Conference meeting to mark the day and one used it to launch their #cupofteaforsvp campaign. All the content remains up on the Young SVP social media for those who have not yet had a chance to view it.
@youngsvpofficial
@Young_SVP
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YOUNG SVP IN DCU For our year in DCU, we spent time as a committee and collective setting up and restablishing Young SVP within DCU. We hosted a wonderful movie night during Reading Week for students. We watched the first two Shrek movies. This was a fantastic night, it gave us as a Conference a chance to relax together and we also got a chance to meet some new members. Some members of the Conference participated in SVP's Survive on 5 Challenge, where they were challenged to only spend 5 euro on food and drinks for 5 days. Although it was challenging, we gained a deeper understanding of the harsh reality faced by families who have a low income . Although our time was cut short this year, we had many other plans such as a Sanitary Drive for Aoibhneas Women's Refuge, which we hope to still do when we get back to college in the Autumn. To finish off the year, we elected some new committee members and have started planning to hopefully do more events in the next academic year!
KILDARE TOWN DAYCARE CENTRE
Connie Hennessy
Our normal business model is to have our clients in house.
Chef Fiona Byrne preparing the meals
They would normally be collected each morning and brought home in the evenings. They have their meals on site and partake in daily activities. Unfortunately, we have had to discontinue this business model since the 14th March. We are now delivering Meals On Wheels, not just to our standard clients but to anybody in the community who has been cocooning or socially isolating. We are getting fantastic feedback from all of our volunteers in relation to the reception they get on the doorsteps. In many cases it is the only face to face the clients have on a daily basis. We are ensuring that the Centre is still relevant in the community throughout the dramatic developments that have been taking place over the past couple of months. Naturally, the clients are extremely eager to get back to the "old normal" at the centre. We hope that we can facilitate
Catherine Heffernan & Tony Murray delivering meals
their wishes as soon as possible.
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VINCENT'S SHOPS GO ONLINE
Thriftify is an online site where charity shops can sell their products. Their aim is for every purchase to have a positive impact on people, the planet and communities. Since the temporary closure of the shop buildings, the Vincent's shops have become the latest charity shop selling items on Thriftify. You can find out more at thriftify.ie
Vincent's Sean McDermott Street prepares to reopen with discs and hazard tape markings to help maintain a safe shopping distance between customers
@thrift_ify @thriftify
ST BENEDICT'S SOCIAL HOUSING MALAHIDE Since the introduction of restrictions in response to COVID 19, we have increased communication with Residents to check on their general well-being and ensure that they have all their usual necessities such as food and medication. The Scheme Manager is doing regular shop and pharmacy runs on behalf of those who are cocooning. We are providing regular updates, local support phone numbers and guidance based on SVP advice via regular newsletters. We also put up some HSE Covid Information Posters. In terms of the community building on-site, we implemented new rules to encourage social distancing. For safety we stopped all events and removed the communal computer. We changed the method of newspaper delivery from the community centre to individual houses. We asked Residents to contact the Scheme Manager by phone as opposed to coming up to the office. We put wall mounted hand sanitizers in all areas of the community building. We continued with emergency repairs but put all larger projects on hold. We increased the capability for the Scheme Manager to work online by procuring a laptop and greater use of video conferences. We moved our Conference meetings online using video conferencing and approvals by electronic means where needed and practical.
Bill Kearney
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WORDPOWER POSTAL SERVICE WordPower has continued to run during the current restrictions by adapting to a postal model- distributing activity packs designed to promote literacy, books & reading in a fun way. We received 200 copies of the Children’s Books Ireland ‘ImagineNation’ resource and these have all now been sent out to families (at the request of Conferences). Happy Talk (HSE Speech & Language Service) shared their ‘Monster Happy Talk Activity Pack’ with us and we had copies printed. We are in the process of distributing these and so far approx. 250 copies have gone out. Teacher Teacher (two teachers from Dublin who make educational resources) have created 'The Great Isolation Activity Book' (for children) and 'The Great Isolation Activity Book For Adults', designed to be a mix of fun, practical and relaxing activities.
They have very kindly given permission to WordPower to distribute copies of these resources. Information on how to join the library online and download free audio books and e-books using the Borrow Box App is included in each envelope we send out. We are also using our Instagram @svpwordpower to link to free online resources for families to access during this time.
WORDPOWER RECEIVES GROWING LIVES GRANT WordPower are delighted and so grateful to receive a £25,000 Growing Lives Grant from Allchurches Trust. Thank you so much to Allchurches Trust for their support. This grant will be used to purchase brand new books for children in families visited by the Society of St Vincent de Paul (East Region). Their generosity will help us make sure more children have good quality children’s books of their very own! If you would like to find out more about WordPower and how we work to get more books to more children, please visit www.svp.ie/wordpower2019
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SVP ON THE LATE LATE SHOW Alison McDonnell
The Late Late show aired on 22nd May with Ryan Tubridy (an honorary member of SVP) being joined by Daniel and Majella O’Donnell to talk about the Society and the help that’s provided to families struggling through this crisis. Daniel and Majella spoke from the heart about the work of the Society and highlighted many issues for the people that call on SVP for assistance. Majella read out a touching letter which was sent by someone looking for help, it touched the hearts of thousands of caring people across Ireland. In excess of €1.1million was raised by kind viewers and will touch the lives of many thousands of people struggling in the difficult days ahead. If you missed the show you can catch up on the RTE Player - https://www.rte.ie/player/series/the-latelate-show/SI0000001694?epguid=IH000384078
ST TERESA'S CLARENDON STREET CONFERENCE MEETINGS OVER ZOOM Etain Doyle
Our Conference is holding meetings via Zoom. We have the upgraded version of Zoom so that it is more secure. It's working out well – Etain, the President sends us all a copy of the prayer by text. We read the minutes and then we discuss who was called last week. We have arranged a rota of the members to call those who we visit, who live on their own. It has been a great success and they love the calls. Then we see what requests have come in and how best to manage them. A call to them is made at the meeting, so we can all hear what is happening ( a bit like visiting in pairs) and then we discuss how to help. Both the President and Treasurer have vouchers, envelopes and stamps – so it is shared out between them. We have a general chat at the end. Our calls are down, so unless needed, we just meet every 2 weeks.
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OZANAM HOUSE
Tony Rock
Ozanan House Resource Centre continues to engage with as many of our 500 service users as possible during this time and to date have engaged with over 350 of our members. Our volunteers continue to support our efforts and all 16 staff are now actively working from home providing the following services and supports directly to families as well as online via our social media platforms on our Website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Childcare Staff remain in weekly contact with all 62 families in our service and class teachers have managed to keep in touch with all of their families with weekly phone calls. Where we identify a need in a family, whether it be food or other necessities, or even additional supports such as games and toys for families in homeless accommodation, we are delivering these to the families. We are also linking parents in with additional supports such as through our visitation Conferences or through the community network and the community response team to help them through this difficult time. We've been researching and sending out resource and activity packs each week directly to the children, one for preschool and one for after-school. This has had an educational focus for the pre-schoolers who love ‘getting their own homework' each week especially those with older siblings, and more of a fun and games focus for the after schoolers. More recently we have been having video chats with class groups, online demos of activities and video stories read by our teachers all of which are shared directly with the children and on our facebook page @svpozanamhousechildcarecentre. Youth Programmes We are providing several different forms of online and phone support to the children, young people and parents. Staff and Volunteers are recording and working on different activities and projects that can be shared directly to children and young people in our service and in our community as well as online via our social media platforms. Younger children in our Ozanam Youth Groups (5 to 12 yr olds) have been receiving activity packs that we have been posting out to the children. Our Senior Youth Services are utilising Instagram, Facebook and our website as effective communication tools and many of the projects and activities are being run through these platforms which is an interactive and informal way to get young people’s attention and support them through this time. These supports and resources are accessible to everyone in our community by following us on instagram @svpozanamhouse
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OZANAM HOUSE
We have done small projects on staying active, motivation, mental health and supports available, community supports, arts and baking through our Instagram account. This will be a platform to provide up to date information and promote their social solidarity. Other projects have been a mini art club, mindfulness, story writing, educational debates, cooking sessions, online safety, coding, quizzes, fitness and keeping healthy, mental health. Up until last week our Leaving Cert Grinds class was using Google Classrooms and providing notes and online material for young people to practice at home while also offering emotional support during a very tough time for them all. We continue to host online Music classes every Saturday in Violin, Guitar and Dance.
Adult Education Programmes Our Adult Education programme is continuing to support our students remotely and online. We have started our cookery class from home programme. Our volunteer cookery teachers have started a 6 week course were each week students receive recipes by post with a star ingredient, information on the health benefits and a video demonstration to follow. Our Computer class students are sent regular exercises to practice from home. Our Art class students have received materials and a weekly exercise book to continue building their art skills. Our Dress Making class have all received activity packs and materials so our members are now keeping busy making furnishings for the home and Yoga on Monday evening is Ozanam House Adult Education’s first online class and is so popular with our members. Senior Programmes - Active Retirement Group and Older Mens Group We have been making direct contact to all members via phone checking in to make sure they are all ok and providing them with any additional supports or tending to any needs they have. We have also been busy creating a user friendly google doc that contains information on resources available to our members as well as activity guides with recipes, online education/entertainment, workout videos and guides, and mindfulness practices. We are also creating a monthly and weekly calendar setting daily 'goals' such as walk 15 minutes, learn a phrase in another language, and 'call a friend'.
For more information and to see all of the great work currently being done by volunteers and staff, visit www.ozanamhouse.ie
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NATIONAL ACCREDITATION PROCESS FOR SAFEGUARDING SiobhĂĄn Laffey
Over the last few months SVP has been undergoing an accreditation process with an independent not-for-profit company called Keeping Children Safe (KCS) to ensure that the organisation is safeguarding children in line with the legislation, standards and best practice guidelines. Keeping Children Safe is an internationally recognised company that set out global child safeguarding standards that ensure organisations working directly for and with children have comprehensive safeguarding measures in place. This work came about following the work of the National Child Safety Oversight & Implementation Group (CSOIG). SVP has commenced with Level 1 Certification. This phase ensures that the organisation has an effective child safeguarding framework in place and involves three stages. All SVP services engaging directly with children have received a selfassessment tool from KCS which is a review of all policies and procedures in place at each service. This is the first stage of Level 1 Certification. We have moved onto the 2nd stage which involves providing KCS with any and all documentation that services have that demonstrates their compliance with the standards set out in the self-assessment tool. Some services have now progressed to the 3rd and final stage of Level 1 Certification which involves short interviews with staff and volunteers. There are also a number of services who have successfully completed each stage of the Level 1 Certification which is a wonderful accomplishment!
This accreditation can only be awarded to SVP as an organisation if all services engage so we would like to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to all the staff and volunteers of these services who have been working with us to complete this process and move through each stage, particularly during this pandemic when there have been other challenges facing people. Successfully passing the Level 1 Certification will be a huge achievement for SVP and will demonstrate our ongoing commitment to protecting children in the vulnerable populations that we work with and our continued drive to improve and provide the best quality services to those who need it most. Consultants from Keeping Children Safe have been in touch with each service throughout the accreditation process. However, if you have any other questions or challenges that you’re facing during this time, please contact Siobhån Laffey, Safeguarding Officer at Sunshine House at safeguarding.sunshine@svp.ie.
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SOCIAL JUSTICE UPDATE Move to introduce “health warnings” on moneylending advertisements welcomed by SVP The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) has welcomed the move by the Central Bank to make it mandatory for all moneylending advertisement to carry prominent warnings and details of alternatives for those facing financial difficulty. But it said the next Programme for Government must include a commitment to
The new regulation state that where the loan is
introduce an interest rate restriction on
required for basic needs, such as accommodation
moneylenders. The new rules for moneylenders
or electricity, moneylenders must inform the
announced under the Revised Moneylending Code
consumer that a moneylending loan may not be in
by the Central Bank include: Prominent warnings
their best interest and provide contact
must be included in all advertisements for high-
information for the Money Advice and Budgeting
cost credit and consumers must be prompted to
Service (MABS). However, this regulation won’t
consider alternatives. Moneylenders to be
come into effect until January 2021.
restricted in how they offer and promote loans to
“Moneylenders tend to engage in heavy advertising
consumers. The new rules were
at times when low income households are under
among recommendations from SVP in
financial pressure, and it is important that
their submission to the Central Bank on review of
customers know at first glance that the adverts
the moneylending code in June 2018 and to
they are seeing are for high cost credit and that
the Department of Finance in July 2019. The
alternatives are available. In order for these new
charity also wrote to the Minister for Finance and
measures to be effective the Revised Code must be
the Central Bank at the outset of the COVID-19
monitored and enforced in the industry and
crisis asking that enhanced protections for
consequences for breaching these requirements
vulnerable customers are putting in place without
communicated,” she continued.
delay, following a marketing drive by
As Programme for Government negotiations
moneylenders for new business.There are an
continue, SVP are also asking the 33rd Dáil, as is
estimated 330,000 customers of moneylenders in
the case with 21 of the 27 EU countries, to
Ireland.
introduce a cap on excessively high interest
SVP Head of Social Justice, Dr. Tricia Keilthy
rates.“Access to affordable credit is essential for
said, “The measures introduced today by the
individuals on a low income but we believe an APRs
Central Bank are very welcome, particularly as
of up to 287% (including charges) are wrong and
many people are now faced with reduced incomes
should not be permitted. It is a contradiction in
and higher bills due to being at home all day.
terms to offer loans at such high costs to an
Moneylending loans may seem like a lifeline to
individual or family who is living below the poverty
people in financial difficulty but in our experience
line and struggling financially. SVP members are
the high-cost credit often sends families into a debt
concerned at the amount of interest being paid to
trap with wide-ranging consequences, from
moneylenders by households on very low incomes,
difficulty making ends meet to an inability to build
who often have to sacrifice other needs including
up savings.”
food, fuel and education in order to meet loan repayments.” said Dr. Keilthy.
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Twinning
NEWS SNIPPETS
With Conferences not physically meeting for the last few weeks of Lent the proceeds of the annual secret bag for Zambia will be adversely affected.
Getting Social Welfare every two weeks? Tips on how to manage Vist www.mabs.ie and serach the 'How We Help' section to read the advice.
As this is the main source of the aid from the East Region on which the Society in Zambia greatly depends, Conferences are requested to consider ways and means of making up the shortfall as circumstances
Crosscare Foodbanks continue to operate
permit. We suggest that you send cheque payable to: SVP East Region SVP Lenten Appeal, FREEPOST F3507, SVP House, 91/92 Sean McDermott Street, Dublin 1, D01 WV38
Visit this link to find out more:
How to find an eircode You may find this link useful when posting during the current crisis. It will assist in getting the post to the correct
https://crosscare.ie/ser vices_category/commu nity-food-services/
Sourcing Second Hand Laptops
address
If Conferences want to source second-hand
https://www.eircode.ie/getting-an-eircode
laptops directly, the following might be useful: https://camara.org/
The Women’s Aid National Freephone Helpline 1800 341900 can offer support to women in over 170 languages through their Telephone Interpretation Service, which operates from 8am to 8pm,7 days per week.
THANK YOU
A big thank you to everyone who contributed to this newsletter. If you would like to have an article published in the next edition, we would love to hear from you. Please send your article and photographs (with consent) to newsletter.east@svp.ie