“One of the most difficult things that people have to do when they become homeless is knock on our front door.”
So says the Good Shepherd Centre Kilkenny’s (GSCK) Ciara Quinn.
GSCK provides services to women, men and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Service users must be over the age of 18 years and referred by the local authority.
The centre supported 92 individuals to access emergency accommodation in Kilkenny in 2023, of which 38 individuals were supported exit homelessness to a home.
In addition, a total of 95 new households in 2023 were helped to exit homelessness including 49 families and 46 single people across Kilkenny, Laois, Carlow and Tipperary. In Kilkenny alone eight families and 56 single people were supported to exit homelessness through the work of the centre in 2023.
You can listen back to some of those involved in the work as well as those who benefitted in a special KCLR programme last year here.
Their city hostel at Church Lane is now about to get a makeover in a bid to make it more welcoming – it will be painted bright yellow symbolising hope and optimism for those arriving to it.
It’s all part of the overall message that ‘Hope is a Home’ which so far has included school talks to highlight homelessness, social media outings of real life stories of inspiration and fundraisers.
GSCK CEO Noel Sherry (hear his interview on The KCLR Daily today here) says “While talking to residents at the Good Shepherd Centre, one by one, they mentioned the low point they felt when they knocked the front door and asked for help. One said to me, it was at that point he realised, he was at his lowest—no longer able to feed, clothe or house himself. That image is stark.
“We recognise that people who reach that point desperately need to feel hope. We believe that our Front Door Project symbolises that hope. By painting the door a bright colour, it symbolises that sense of support and home for those in need.”
Our generous sponsors, The Paint Hub in Carlow and Chadwicks, provided the essential paint and materials to bring this project to life. Special thanks to our dedicated service manager, Aiden Quigley, whose expertise and guidance helped our tenants to undertake the project.
On the collaboration, CEO of The Paint Hub in Carlow Kate Gaynor says; “The Front Door Project goes beyond paint and materials; it symbolises a community coming together to address the homelessness crisis. The Good Shepherd Centre’s dedication is truly inspiring; it’s a privilege to contribute to their efforts.”
