Northern Ireland’s youth homelessness charity MACS urges people to take part in their Sleep Out featuring Paddy Raff on the 5th December as part of Homelessness Awareness Week.
MACS Supporting Children and Young People (MACS) is the only youth-specific homelessness charity in Northern Ireland. MACS are challenging people to give up their bed for one night to raise funds towards the crucial housing and support services MACS provide to young people aged 16-25 who are at risk of, or experiencing homelessness in NI.
MACS will host the Sleep Out challenge at Banana Block in Belfast on the 5th December to coincide with Homelessness Awareness Week facilitated by Homeless Connect which aims to raise awareness of the reality of homelessness in NI.
Kate Martin, MACS’s CEO describes how, “It would be impossible to recreate the fear, loneliness and discomfort of not having a safe place to call home but Sleep Out gives participants a glimpse into the reality some young people are facing.”
Sleep Out is a fun filled evening with stand-up comedy by Paddy Raff, a drum circle with The Gathering Drum and warm drinks and food courtesy of Bodega Bagels until 11pm when the challenge of sleeping out really begins.
MACS CEO Kate Martin says, “MACS was established over 30 years ago, the name is an acronym for Mulholland After Care Services as at that time we solely supported young people leaving care. Overtime we’ve widened our support to help all young people who are at risk of homelessness. Unfortunately that demand is higher than ever. MACS support almost 700 young people aged 16-25 every year. Early intervention is so important in breaking the homelessness cycle before it spirals into longer term homelessness and the associated risks. When young people get the right support at the right time they really can and do progress away from homelessness and build brighter futures.”
“At MACS we concentrate on intensive longer term services; typically each young person receives up to two years of services. Our support is holistic, wrap around care tailored to each individual’s needs over a period of time that allows them time to develop the capacity, confidence and resilience to move on.”
“The reasons young people find themselves homeless can be complex, it may be due to loss or illness of a family member, adverse childhood experiences, relationship breakdown or other circumstances which are outside of a child or young person’s control. MACS aim to give these young people security whilst
empowering them to find a place to call home and build brighter futures. Every young person deserves a safe place to live and the unwavering support and guidance as they navigate early adulthood.”
MACS provides supported housing in the form of 42 self-contained apartments and the charity supports young people with education, health and wellbeing; training and careers, social participation in the community and ensuring young people have life skills such as shopping, cooking, finance and budgeting, so they can leave MACS equipped and empowered to achieve their personal goals and build their futures.
MACS are appealing to the public to Sleep Out and fundraise, saying, ‘Our outgoings are similar to any household, though ours is very big comprising of 405 young people at the current moment. The cost of living is especially high in Winter and the lead up to Christmas when we struggle to find funding that we can dip into for immediate needs like electricity, gas, food, start up packs, household provisions, travel expenses and other things young people need. We know how much people in Northern Ireland care about homelessness; there’s a lot of commentary on the rise of street homelessness and the visibility of rough sleeping. MACS services really do prevent these numbers escalating beyond all recognition.
Sleep Out gives the public power to take part in something that prevents homelessness and makes a real difference to young lives.
To register or donate visit www.macsni.org