This October, Mitchelstown will be joining in the annual Focus Ireland ‘Shine A Light sleep out’ for the very first time, the annual night where businesses, schools, workplaces and communities choose to sleep outdoors, bringing awareness to the issue of homelessness, a reality faced by more than 14,000 people in Ireland each night.
Local Carmel O’Gorman is taking the lead on the ‘sleep out’ locally and is asking people across the town and wider area to support her and the group that will be undertaking the task on October 4th in New Square, from about 8pm.
While the national ‘sleep out’ takes place on October 11th, organisational reasons means that Mitchelstown’s will be a week beforehand, on Friday, 4th October.
“We’re asking as many people to join us as possible,” Carmel told The Avondhu. “It’s not necessary to do it all night, but if people could show their support for an hour or two alongside a few of us who will be sleeping out all night, it would be appreciated”.
Donations can be made directly to Focus Ireland and there will be a bucket collection on the evening itself. For more details, or to sign up, contact Carmel O’Gorman on 085 7778375 or via Focus Ireland’s website.
