HELPING HAND WATERFORD
Giving dignity in adversity
Our Organisation helps raise funds through various events and initiatives, and we’d love for you to get involved with Helping Hand Waterford. We depend on your support in order to improve lives and make our city a better place for those people, who have found themselves homeless and in need of supports. Join us today to learn all about volunteering and donating options.
WHAT WE DO
Helping Hand Waterford, located in the heart of Waterford City, is a charitable organisation dedicated to helping those in need. With the dedication of our volunteers and partners, we strive to improve the lives of everyone who needs help within our community. We provide a drop in centre serving hot meals, food, tea and coffee's 5 nights a week in St. Patricks Gateway Centre. In addition to providing hot meals, we also provide sleeping bags, tents, toiletries, clean clothing and advocacy support to all homeless, rough sleepers and those in need. In the months of November and December we run a shoe box and hamper campaign for families and individuals, the homeless and rough sleepers in order to try and make the festive season a little bit happier. Contact us to see what you can do to bring about positive change.
NEWS
Over the coming months Helping Hand Waterford will bring you news of our Service and updates on our activities, developments and information.
Due to the recent Public Health concerns re: Covid-19, Helping Hand Waterford has continued to meet the needs of the homeless and those people and families who are in emergency accommodation. Throughout this outbreak, Helping Hand Waterford has maintained a service, Monday to Friday at St, Patrick's Gateway Centre providing meals to those who have attended our service. Unfortunately, we have had to reduce our hours and normal operations to take into account, best practice to protect our clients and volunteers alike. Our new opening times, are 7pm to 7.30pm, Monday to Friday ONLY. Helping Hand Waterford is committed to fulfilling our service and serving those people who, in these times, need extra support and care. We would like to thank all those people, communities and businesses that support us in the work we do, now more than ever. Helping Hand Waterford will continue to reach out to those who need a helping hand
EXTENDED OPENING TIMES
Since the first week in January of 2020 we have moved from providing service 5 nights a week to now including a Saturday Service for our clients. This was facilitated by new volunteers coming on board with us, so thank you one and all.
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BE PROUD WATERFORD
Over the last few weeks and months Helping Hand has been very busy, both in terms of numbers using our services, but also in the display of generosity and support from the people of Waterford City and County. We cannot do what we do, without the generous support from communities, schools, businesses and philanthropic groups of Waterford. The outpouring of kindness, compassion and generosity for families and individuals who have found themselves in dire and unfortunate circumstances has been both amazing and very humbling for us here at Helping Hand. Sometimes the phrase thank you, can be either be misused or does not impart the huge sense of gratitude required. However, we here at Helping Hand would like, on behalf of our clients, families and volunteers to say a massive and heartfelt thank you, to everyone who helped in their own way, the people of this City and County who felt alone and empty of hope. Thank you for making a difference to so many people.
SING WHEN YOU'RE WINNING
This year for our Christmas dinner, we were lucky and fortunate to be serenaded by the amazing High Hopes Choir. The Choir brought a great sense of Festive
OUR CAUSES
Helping Hand Waterford works tirelessly to provide dignity, practical support and hope for all those on the margins of society. Our most significant contributions are those that are often forgotten by most. We strive to provide dignity, hope and understanding to those who need it most, and we would love for you to become part of that change today.
GIVING HOPE
Helping Others
PROVIDING BASIC ESSENTIALS
Providing Support
DELIVERING HOME COOKEDÂ HOT MEALS
A place to rest and be treated with dignity
"Great things are done by a series of small things brought together"
Vincent van Gogh
READ ALL ABOUT US
Helping Hand Waterford is always interested in promoting the charitable work we do. If you would like to stay informed about everything happening at Helping Hand Waterford, including the latest news, upcoming events, and fundraising activities, check out the latest below. We do our best to update our section with the newest and latest so you’re in the know.
MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIRPERSON
July 20th 2019
Firstly I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to our website Helping Hand Waterford. Helping Hand Waterford has been operating in the city for just over four years, and has served those people who have found themselves on the margins of society without a roof or house to call home. Our service, is run entirely by volunteers, a team of motivated, charitable, friendly and caring people who have put those in need, first and foremost, every evening 365 days a year, in all weathers. The unfortunate down turn in the economy several years ago pushed many local individuals right out to the margins. And so, Helping Hand Waterford was established, to provide people with at least one hot meal a day, a social space where they could be afforded some dignity and hope. The service has come along way from just providing teas and coffees on the Quay in Waterford, to providing a hot home cooked meal, in safe surroundings in The Gateway Centre on Patrick Street. Not only do we simply serve up a hot meal, we have expanded to provide sleeping bags and tents, clothing and general provisions, but we also run a Christmas Hamper Appeal for local families who struggle during the Festive Period. From time to time, we receive requests for household items and essential items through our Facebook Page. As Helping Hand Waterfords new Chairperson, I would like to thank all previous Volunteers, Committees and Chairpersons for setting up this valuable and essential organisation here in Waterford City. To our current volunteers, thank you for your commitment, hope and generous spirit in ensuring that we can serve our clients with hope and dignity. And to you, the People and Companies of Waterford who have generously found time to financially support us in the work we do, thank you. You have all touched and helped so many people who have very little, or nothing at all, you have given them hope, dignity and a reason to not give up.Â
Paul Power
ALLTOGETHER NOW FESTIVAL
August 5th 2019
Helping Hand Waterford would like to thank the organisers of the Alltogether Now Festival for allowing us to gather up discarded and donated sleeping bags and tents from the generous concert goers. The tents and sleepings bags will go along way in providing much needed comfort and shelter to our very vulnerable and needy clients. Helping Hand Waterford would like to also thank the Pilltown Foroige Club for their help and support both on the day and throughout the year as well as the brave voluntold supporters who came along, and provided the vans and enthusiasm to help us out. Thank you, one and all.
THANK YOU
September 3rd 2019
Helping Hand Waterford would gratefully like to thank Sun Life Financial for their kind donation recently from their Corporate Responsibility Committee. We would be unable to do the work we do without your generosity.
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To Eleanors Hair Salon, their customers and staff, thank you for your kindness and generosity, it means so much to us at Helping Hand Waterford that you chose to donate to us.
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Our service is run purely on donations, fundraising events, raffles and every cent goes completely and directly to providing help, support and care to everyone who attends our daily service.
CONTACT US
St. Patrick's Gateway Centre,
Patrick St,
Waterford,
Ireland.
(089) 2399882