Cork school washes laundry and makes meals for homeless pupils

Nickie and the other teaching staff were often in tears seeing children leave every day not knowing where they were going to sleep that night.

She says they decided to find practical solutions to help families in crisis.

"We aren't the Government. We know we can't fix it but we can make it easier for these families.

"Myself and the home school liaison teacher sat down one day after another family walked out the door. We were both in tears. We said 'what are we going to do?' And we just came up with the simple ideas and presented it to parents.

"We looked at the basics. The things that are causing such stress on the parents and such stress on the kids. So we have the breakfast club for them.

We have the parents' room with the washer and dryer. So people can wash clothes here. Parents can cook meals here if they want to bring it home.

"We often supply the ingredients so a dinner goes back to the B&B. We help out with rain gear for them. Bus passes. We do what we can do."

Ms Egan says they are conscious of a massive change in pupils when they become homeless.

Children who once "bounced" in and out of school lose their spark.

"It is so sad when children become homeless. They love coming into school because school these days is so different. But they normally love going home too.

"And then when you see they don't want to go to where they are going or they didn't know where they were going. Children need routine more than anything. When they become homeless we are the only stable thing in their lives."

From providing cooking facilities to helping with laundry, this school in Cork is going the extra mile to help children and families who are homeless. Tap to expand. pic.twitter.com/Cubu2M89Lv

— RTÉ News (@rtenews) March 3, 2020

Nickie says that they do everything in their power to preserve the dignity of parents and children who are homeless.

"Our breakfast club isn't in the parents' room. Our breakfast club is in the staff room upstairs and in a classroom so nobody knows they are going to breakfast club. You have to preserve their dignity.

"We want to help them but they wouldn't accept the help if other people were to know. If they are too embarrassed to wash clothes they leave the bag and the clothes are clean when they return."

Nickie, says teachers help out in subtle and "quiet ways." She has also used the training of Cork-based charity Ag Eisteacht.

The training equips frontline practitioners like teachers with the skills to help people going through a hard time.

Ms Egan says that sometimes homeless children aren't in the right emotional space to learn.

The children need time to settle in themselves in the mornings. A bit of minding time. You might even take their hand for a walk around the garden.

"We would be conscious of what is called Adverse Child Experiences. Homeless children be on high alert all the time and it is impossible for them to learn. You need to bring them down from that level before they are able to learn."

Ms Egan says that she has been heartened by the generosity of individuals over the years who have donated Dunnes Stores vouchers and cinema tickets to the impacted families.

She is hoping that the kindness shown to the children will resonate with them in their adult lives.

"I would be hoping that these children having had love and care from us would then show that to somebody else. If that is what they see during their eight or nine years here then that is the way I would hope they would go out in to the world.

"I don't know if this happens in other schools. Other schools might see this and say 'we can do that.' That alone would be amazing.

You don't have to be a huge powerful person to make a difference in lives. Everybody can make a difference in somebody's life.