Simon Community project has helped 40 young people already

ASSISTING VULNERABLE PEOPLE WHO FACE DANGER OF HOMELESSNESS

IN A FEW short months since it opened in Wexford town, the Simon Community has 40 taken young people under its wings.

The youngsters are those who have just left the care of the state and need after-care services to prevent homelessness and isolation as they take on idependent living.

The Simon service, which is funded by the HSE’s Child and Family Agency ‘ Tulsa’, employs three Social Care Workers at the FDYS Centre on Francis Street, to assist youngsters from all over the county, aged from 18 to 23 years of age, who have no-one to support them in setting up their own homes, filling out forms, and moving on to work, training or education.

The Simon Community is collaborating with the local FDYS youth centre, because according to CEO of South East Simon team, Fiona Lewis, it is ‘a good fit’ for the services they provide.

Fiona said the service helped the young people with every aspect of finding and settling into their own accommodation as well as showing them how to practically maintain a house, adhere to a budget, be a good neighbour, as well help finding work or training.

‘It is a challenge to find property within the rent allowance limit especially because the tenant is not allowed to supplement it ,’ she said.

In Co. Wexford the rent allowance for a single person living alone in a flat is €375 per month, while for a couple with one child seeking

I appeal to landlords to take a leap of faith with us to support these young

adults

Simon Community CEO, Fiona Lewis (pictured)

a two-bedroomed flat, the limit is €500. According to Fiona the cost of rent and the availability of accommodation varies widely from one town to another within the county and the rent allowance limits vary from region to region.

Fiona appealed to landlords in Wexford County to build up a relationship with the Simon Service and take tenants without references in the knowledge that there is a dedicated package of after-care support in the form of an Social Care Worker.

‘I appeal to landlords to take a leap of faith with us to support these young adults who didn’t have the benefit of a childhood within a nurturing family environment and surely deserve a decent start into adulthood,’ she said.

The Social Care Workers working in the Francis Street centre are headed up by John Keane, as well as New Ross native Hayley Rochford, Djenne Kaba.

John Keane said that while visible homelessness was low in the South East, there was a lot of hidden homelessness among young people.

‘A lot of young people are ‘couch surfing’ or staying with friends which does not present itself as homelessness,’ he said.

‘We are trying to bridge the gap in care for these people and while in the past social workers or foster parents did extend their care of the young adults until they were settled, the service we provide is a more structured support to provide skills for independent living,’ he said.

Hayley said she was highly motivated in her new Social Care role in the town because the vulnerable youngsters need someone to advocate on their behalf.

‘It is great to have a service like this in Wexford because it is a disadvantaged county with not alot of services or opportunities for people and this gives these young adults a decent chance,’ she said.

Donations of food, clothes books, DVDs are all welcomed to help set the young people up in their new homes.

However, electrical goods, or large pieces of furniture cannot be taken.

The Simon Community Van is available on Wednesdays to collect donations that are in good condition. People interested can contact 051 872693

While the main focus of the Wexford Simon team is on young people leaving state care, they also offer a drop in service for anyone with housing concerns.

Simon Community Drop In Centre on Francis Street can be contacted on 085 7522593 and the clinic is open from 11 a.m to 1 p.m. every Thursday. No appointment is necessary.