Charity begins at school for students

THE STUDENTS of a Dublin secondary school yesterday gave Christmas gifts to a number of homeless people, whom they had asked what they would most wish to receive for Christmas.

The third-year students, from the Holy Faith secondary school in Clontarf, had been so moved by the life experience of one homeless woman, Tracey Redmond, who had been a guest speaker at their school, that they resolved to do something for her – and 20 other homeless people living at in the same hostel operated by the Dublin Simon Community where Ms Redmond lived.

Caoimhe O’Neill (15), explained that the class asked residents of the hostel to draw up a list of the kind of things they’d like for Christmas.

“They wanted things like jackets, socks, blankets, toiletries, a book voucher, CDs. One is an artist and he wanted a specific type of paint,” she said.

“So we had a raffle and did fundraising, and raised €1,250. We asked for people to donate things, and what wasn’t donated we went into town and bought.”

Ms Redmond was there yesterday to accept the gifts.

She explained how she had been homeless for many years, even as a mother of small children, and had lived in a shipping container in the Smithfield area of Dublin. She had been living in Artane when she was evicted with her husband and their first daughter.

She went on to have seven children, three of whom are now dead.

“Originally I was evicted because I used to bring homeless people back to the house and the neighbours didn’t like that.”

She said she was turned away from one women’s hostel because it was for unmarried mothers and she was married.

“Oh, I remember that like it was today. When you’re turned away with a baby in the lashings of rain, you don’t forget it.”

Her husband Paddy died some years ago.

She had asked the students for some household items for her bedsit accommodation, run by Dublin Simon. Asked what she thought of the students’ endeavours she said: “Oh it’s rapid. They are great young people and the young people are the future aren’t they. I’m thrilled now.”

Mary Tynan, the teacher involved in co-ordinating the project, said she had never seen young people so moved, animated and enthused by a project.

“They have learned so much. I think having met Tracey, the human connection, has made homelessness so real for them as an issue. To hear the stories and to hear how Tracey led a normal life, and grew up near here, it’s ‘There but for the grace of God’, isn’t it?”