Dublin Chamber have joined with the Simon Community to urge companies to support the Simon House of Cards appeal

The Appeal asks, “Don’t send a card this Christmas; Address a Problem”

Dublin Chamber, along with the Simon Community are urging businesses to support people who are homeless this Christmas, through the Simon House of Cards Appeal. This vital fundraising initiative asks companies to make a donation in lieu sending cards, gifts and other Christmas gestures to their clients and business relationships.

The call for support comes as the latest Rough Sleeper and Emergency figures for Dublin were recently released. The official DRHE figures show 184 people bedding down across the city. This is a 4% increase since last spring and an 18% increase from last winter. In addition to this, the latest figures for the number of adults and children in Emergency Accommodation across Ireland show a growth to 8,492 in October, up from 8,374 in September.

Speaking about the urgent need for support, Sam McGuinness on behalf of the Simon Community said;

“This Christmas we are calling on the business community to support our House of Cards Appeal to raise vital funds and to stand in solidarity with people experiencing homelessness in Ireland today. Currently there are over 8,400 adults and children stuck in emergency accommodation, with countless more rough sleeping, couch surfing and in overcrowded accommodation. This year the campaign aims to raise €600,000 to continue delivering vital housing and life saving supports that will respond to the extraordinary demand on our services across the country.”

Urging fellow business leaders to pledge to the House of Cards Appeal, Mary Rose Burke, CEO of Dublin Chamber, emphasised the importance of the campaign to those who are being affected by the housing and homeless crisis.

“As the situation in our cities continues to deteriorate, we need to take action now more than ever. The Simon House of Cards Appeal is an effective way for companies to make a real and lasting impact in the lives of people who are without a home and those who are living in real and constant fear of losing their home. Most importantly, by supporting this campaign, companies will provide hope to those who will be without a home this Christmas, as the Simon Community can continue to provide long term homes to move people out of homelessness for good.”

Mary Rose Burke continued to say that Dublin Chamber have committed to creating a sustainable solution to the housing crisis by choosing Dublin Simon Community as their charity partner for two years.

“Housing is the biggest issue currently facing Dublin. We want to help change this. Through the partnership, we want to be involved in the community and work together towards building a better place to live and work in Dublin. By getting involved in different activities over the two year period and creating awareness of the House of Cards Appeal, we hope to make  a lasting difference, with sustainable solutions.”

About Simon House of Cards
Instead of sending cards and gifts over the Christmas period, the Simon House of Cards campaign asks companies to donate to their life saving homeless services.  By doing so, the campaign hopes to raise over €600,000 to deliver vital housing and life saving supports that will respond to the unprecedented demand for help. In recognition of your valued contribution, your company name or logo will be seen by more than 317,000 Irish Times readers as well as being seen in the spectacular “Simon House of Light” projection show on Powerscourt Townhouse Centre between the 7th and 9th December. You will also have access to a range of personalised E-Cards to send to colleagues and friends. Businesses can get involved with Simon House of Cards by logging onto www.simonhouseofcards.ie.