Christmas in the City: Sharing is caring
If there’s one charity that’s synonymous with Pana at Christmas time, it’s SHARE. We all know that yellow sticker!
The SHARE (Students Harness Aid for the Relief of the Elderly) fundraising campaign aims to grow awareness of the isolation felt by the vulnerable elderly in Cork, and the students are asking everyone to check in with the elderly in your community over this Christmas period.
The annual street collection fundraising campaign is scheduled as usual in December and keeping with tradition, students will attend the crib daily in the run-up to Christmas as they coordinate the daily fundraising effort.
Those wishing to support SHARE can donate at sharecork.org/donations.
SHARE is a registered charity, founded in 1970 by students from Presentation Brothers College, Cork, who raised funds to try and make existing housing more comfortable. The organisation has gone from strength to strength since then, now encompassing schools across Cork city and county, whose students fast and fundraise annually at Christmas time for SHARE.
Since its foundation in 1970, SHARE has provided a unique link between students and the elderly. It has created a blueprint for positive engagement between students and the elderly community, gaining national and international recognition.
Since its inception, SHARE has tackled the housing crisis for the particularly vulnerable elderly people of Cork City. Evolving over the last 50 years, the organisation, led by students, runs 140 homes in the area, across seven different locations. Students visit these homes on a weekly basis, offering much sought-after social engagement. In addition to this, the Brother Jerome Day Care Centre caters for up to 125 clients each week, offering a social environment, hot meals, fun and activities.
SHARE’s 140 housing units, located around the city, are comfortable, secure and homely, and are overseen by SHARE personnel on an on-going basis.
The continuous maintenance and running of SHARE’s homes, situated around the City at Blarney St, Shandon St, Blackpool, Grattan St, Sunday’s Well, Abbey St and Sheare’s St, is an ongoing commitment for SHARE – a commitment all members of SHARE are happy to undertake, to ensure residents can live in peace and comfort.
Milestones:
· May 1976 - 12 houses built and furnished at Clochán Barra, Coach St
· Dec 1976 - Accommodation provided for 13 people in 3-bedroomed furnished houses at Glendalough, Grenville Place
· Dec 1977 - 11 homes provided at Ard Mhaca, Sheares St
· Feb 1978 7 - One-storey houses built and furnished at Skellig, Rope Walk, Sunday’s Well
· Dec 1978 - 13 houses completed at Cnoc Mhuire na Toirbhirte, Fair St
· May 1979 - 19 houses completed at Cnoc Mhuire Seandún
· Nov 1980 - Accommodation for 18 people at Teach Chill Chré, Dyke Parade
· Dec 1980 – 15-house complex, Gougane Barra, Abbey St
· Dec 1983 - Ardfert Village, 21 houses at William O'Brien St
· Dec 1988 - Dún Rís, 32-home complex at Grattan St
· Nov 1993 - SHARE's 200th home was opened as part of a 42-apartment complex at Ard Iosaef, Blarney St
· Dec 2000 - Br Jerome Kelly Day Care Centre opened at Sheares St to cater for 50-100 people daily, offering medical and social support, as well as fun and warm meals.
· Feb 2017 - Redeveloped 20 bedsits into 10 apartments
· 2019 - Remodelled 8 homes in Mount St Joseph
SHARE also provides medical and social support through its Day Care Centre on a daily basis, which involves a full-time activity coordinator and support staff. In addition, the HSE provides a nurse manager and two care assistants who support the clients to secure the extra resources and help they require.
In recent years, SHARE has piloted a dementia programme, to facilitate those living with dementia in the wider community. Those living with dementia are invited into the SHARE community dementia friendly centre in Grattan Street between 2pm and 4pm every Wednesday once a week to socialise, play games like bingo, memory box and LoDo with students and adult volunteers. There is always a bit of singing and of course tea and coffee.
The service is beneficial to those partaking in the service, and their carers who get some time out for themselves, as normally they could be on call 24/7.