Set your alarm clocks and watch the sunrise in aid of Pieta House

CHARITY URGENTLY APPEALING FOR DONATIONS AFTER ITS ‘DARKNESS INTO LIGHT’ WALK CANCELLED

PEOPLE across Cork are being urged to set their alarm clocks to get up extra early this coming Saturday morning, see the sun rise and help raise vital funds for suicide awareness charity Pieta House.

Normally the charity holds its annual ‘Darkness Into light’ walk on the second Saturday of May each year, with more than 200,000 people donning the by-now iconic yellow t-shirts to take part in daybreak walks at more than 150 different locations across the globe.

Since its inception in 2009, the high-profile event has helped raise hundreds of thousands of Euros for the charity, which offers a free counselling service to those suffering from suicide ideation, people who self-harm and those who have lost a loved one through suicide.

However, as we are all too aware, these are far from normal times, and charities like Pieta House have to come up with different ways to raise funds while observing the current COVID-19 regulations and social distancing rules.

While this year’s Electric Ireland-sponsored ‘Darkness Into Light’ walk has been cancelled, Pieta House is still going ahead with its annual flagship appeal to raise money to ensure its essential front-line services can remain operational and, perhaps most importantly, continue to be delivered free of charge.

Through their ‘Sunrise’ appeal, the charity is asking people to show their solidarity with those impacted by suicide by getting up at 5.30am, watching the sun rise and donating to www.darknessintolight.ie.

Pieta House has more than 240 qualified therapists in 15 centres across the country and a 24/7 helpline (1800 247 247) and text service (51444), ensuring help is at hand around the clock for those in crisis.

Since it was established, the charity has provided counselling to almost 60,000 people, with more than 8,000 people coming through their doors in 2019.

Their Suicide Bereavement Liaison Service offers practical and emotional support to bereaved families in their own homes or at places of their choice.

Pieta House also provides support to children and adolescents through their Resilience Academy, a six-week programme for secondary schools dedicated to promoting positive mental health.

Pieta House CEO Elaine Austin said the need for their services is now greater than ever with COVID-19 impacting on people’s mental as well and physical health.

She said that even become the Coronavirus, calls and texts to Pieta House had increased year-on-year by almost 50%, with recent research also showing that one in five Irish people experience clinically defined levels of depression.

“As a result of Covid-19, our helpline has seen an increase in calls from people all over the country who are in crisis right now with many others presenting with high anxiety. Our bereavement counsellors are supporting people who have lost loved ones and who are struggling to come to terms with their loss in a world where friends and family cannot grieve together as a result of the lockdown,” said Elaine.

She said that with 80% of their fund coming from fund-raining events that have now been cancelled “support from the public has never been more vital to keep Pieta’s door open”.

“Just €20 can fund two life-saving calls to those who are in crisis,” said Elaine.

“The ‘Darkness Into Light’ walk will hopefully take place later in the year, but we can’t wait - we’re urgently asking people to donate, whatever they can. This will help fund our services, ensuring we can continue to support those in their darkest hours and to keep delivering our one-to-one counselling.”