Longest Day campaign for homeless tomorrow
The Dublin Simon Community are kicking off their #LongestDay campaign tomorrow.
On the longest day of the year, the Dublin Simon Community are calling on the public to send messages of support via Facebook @DublinSimonCommunity or Twitter @Dublin_Simon so they can share them with people accessing their services and going through the trauma of homelessness.
Speaking about the campaign, Sam McGuinness of the Dublin Simon Community said:“The longest day of the year is symbolic for this campaign. When you’re trapped in homelessness, with no place to call home or feel safe, you are forced to go without the simplest comforts and the days can seem so long. What was once straightforward becomes a daily battle - being able to cook a meal, wash your clothes or close your own door to the world at the end of each day. Whether you are a family trying to manage in a small hotel room or walking the streets of Dublin looking for somewhere to sleep at night, you have to go without the most basic things that we take for granted each day. The days can isolating, endless and relentless; everyday of the year can seem like The Longest Day. "
“In this time of crisis, we really need as many people as possible to reach out and show support. Sending us messages through Facebook and Twitter, is a small but important gesture of solidarity. Kind words can really make a difference to someone’s day when struggling with the difficulties that come with trying to find and/or keep a roof over your head.”
Throughout the longest day, Dublin Simon Community will share testimonials from their clients on Facebook and Twitter to illustrate the lonely and isolating nature of being homeless or at risk, and the daily struggles that people are facing. Each quote will be shared with the hashtag #longestday. See examples below:
"When I was homeless I walked the city for 6 full weeks without even saying hello to anybody. I couldn't face anyone. I just kept my head done and walked and walked. The days were so long and lonely, with nothing to do and nowhere to go."
"It was one of the most difficult and lonely experiences of my life. Living in the hotel each morning I woke the boys up at 6 and took two buses to get them to school. I tried to protect them. I didn't want them to be affected by everything that was happening."
"Being a girl on the streets is really frightening. I got bullied, beaten up, picked on. Every day felt like Groundhog Day and I wondered how it would end."