DBFL Shine A Light on Homelessness

On Friday the 18th of October 14 volunteers from DBFL took part in Focus Ireland’s Shine a Light Night.
 
The DBFL team joined over 200 other participants in The Iveagh Gardens in Dublin City Centre to brave the cold. Armed with only a sleeping bag and a bivvy bag to keep the rain out, they spent the whole night sleeping rough.
 
Over 10,000 people are now registered as homeless with nearly 150 estimated to be sleeping rough on the streets of Dublin every night this winter. It’s time to make a change.
 
Focus Ireland have been partnered with Bord Gais since 2015 to help raise funds and awareness through the Shine A Light Night. Focus Ireland fill the event with information and awareness. Large screens showcased short films and documentaries at the Iveagh Gardens, highlighting the hardships of Irish families, struggling to keep a roof over their heads.
 
Shine a Light participants were woken up by security at 5am to get ready to leave the park, still deep in the dark. An experience only too familiar to rough sleepers.
 
The event took place all over Ireland including Cork City, Spike Island, Wexford, Limerick and Waterford.  Companies also set up outside their own office buildings on the street and in entryways.
 

The hope this year is to raise over €1million to help house people in permanent homes, and it looks like that target may be reached with fundraising money still flowing in after the event.
 

The DBFL team managed to raise over €13,000 this year bringing our total to over €23,000 for the last two years. We’re very proud of our participants and the awareness they have spread while experiencing a glimpse into the life of a rough sleeper.

You can find out more at the Shine a Light website here 

You can still donate to our team here

DBFL Shine a Light Night 2019