RIAI Simon Open Door 2019
RIAI Simon Open Door 2019
Simon Open Door is now closed
Thank you to everyone who supported RIAI Simon Open Door 2019 to raise funds for the work of the Simon Community throughout Ireland.
Sincere thanks to all the architects around the country who gave their time free of charge, and all those who booked appointments and donated.
Simon Open Door is a partnership between the Simon Communities of Ireland has partnered and the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI). Almost €600,000 has been raised for the Simon Communities of Ireland by Simon Open Door in the last fourteen years.
Anyone can sign up to Simon Open Door and in return for a €95 donation to the Simon Community, you will receive an hour long consultation with a certified RIAI Architect (in the Architect’s own office, unless otherwise stated). They can give advice on a range of issues relating to your home.
Since 2005, the Simon Open Door initiative has been a permanent fixture in the calendar of RIAI Architects who, open their offices and offer their time and expertise to members of the public. Every cent raised goes toward's the work of the Simon Communities of Ireland.
The more information you can bring to your Architect on the day, the more you will get out of your consultation, so we recommend that before you meet with your Architect you consider all of the information in the "What to remember" section above.
A €95 donation could go towards:
- Providing 9 people with a warm bed for the night
- 5 Counselling Sessions
- Providing our rough sleeper team with 4 emergency packs for those sleeping on the streets
- Providing a home starter pack for those who are moving to their own homes
- 6 weeks of art/literacy classes
Our emergency accommodation aims to support our residents to move on to independent living in sustainable long term accommodation. We ensure a quality, wraparound support service is provided to enable people to move out of homelessness.
The Simon Community’s Counselling Service supports clients who have experienced homelessness to identify and connect to their inner strengths and develop psychological coping skills as a result of engaging with evidence based therapeutic counselling interventions and supports.
Our outreach teams provide a service to people living on the street with the aim of moving out of homelessness and onto independent living. Outreach teams distribute necessary items including hot food and drinks, water, clothing, personal hygiene kits, and medical support kits where necessary.
These packs will help people to begin to rebuild their lives. Providing basic essential household goods such as a kettle, a toaster, cutlery and crockery, and towels, will help to set up and sustain people previously homeless to settle into permanent lodgings.
Developing confidence is the key aim of our Health and Wellbeing services. It is our goal to help restore client confidence, confidence that may have been lost through experiences of homelessness. It is important to us that each client regains and retains a positive attitude towards other things that are going on in their lives, providing courage and self-belief for them to move forward.
Images courtesy of (L) ODKM Architects (R) CVLTD
We would love to hear what you thought of Simon Open Door and your experiences so we can share your stories online please send in your stories to fundraising@simoncommunity.com
Images courtesy of (L) Ryan W. Kennihan Architects (R) nineteeneighty
For further information please contact fundraising@simoncommunity.com
