The homeless are not forgotten

American actor Paul Rudd and singer songwriter Nick Jonas have sent a video message of support for the 41st annual Belvedere SleepOut which takes place at the Bank of Ireland College Green, Dublin, from Sunday 22 December at 12pm until Christmas Eve at noon, Tuesday 24 December 2024. Listen above to an interview with some of the students from the SleepOut team about their plans for the two days, which include visiting choirs and a trad band, free haircuts and a warm welcome for anyone who wants to join them in this annual fundraiser.

Irish actors Jack Raynor and Amy Huberman are also pitching in to support the students who will be fasting for the two days as well as sleeping out overnight. Belvedere College SJ past pupils will parallel this effort by sleeping out at the GPO on the same dates. The SleepOut takes place at the end of a year when homelessness levels reached an all-time high.

Also, for the first time ever, past pupils from Belvedere have organised a Jesuit Alumni SleepOut in Covent Garden in London on 22 and 23 December 2024. They have appealed to former students of all the Jesuit schools in Ireland who may be living in or around London to join them for the SleepOut to raise money for Centrepoint, a well known charity working with homeless young people in London. The two SleepOut teams will link up via video link during the event.

Transition years students from the college have already done a SleepOut in their gardens and have raised €100,000. All those involved are hoping they can break last years record breaking sum of €330,791.67 raised. This year 280 students from Belvedere College SJ, in Dublin’s North Inner City, will take to the streets to again raise much needed funds for Focus Ireland and the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS Ireland.)

In 2024, Focus Ireland, extended aid to 18,000 people, including 1,757 families. The SleepOut 24 team says that the charity’s work is crucial in addressing the escalating homelessness crisis. Also, JRS Ireland assisted many asylum seekers in accessing accommodation after the government’s announcement that it could not accommodate all incoming asylum seekers due to a critical shortage of available housing. So both charities will put the money raised this year to good use. Donations will be accepted in person or can be made online at any time through the SleepOut24 fundraising page »

This year’s SleepOut team are all too aware that homelessness levels have reached 14,960, the highest ever recorded in the state’s history. “Unfortunately the SleepOut is needed more than ever before. So we’re mobilising like never before,” the students say, adding that the Belvedere SleepOut is more than just an event, “It’s a rallying cry for action and a reminder that no child, no person, should be left without a home. Together, we aim to raise crucial funds, shine a spotlight on this urgent crisis, and give a voice to those who need it most.”

The team explain how the Belvedere SleepOut is now a Christmas tradition deeply embedded in Dublin’s heart and history. “ In solidarity with the homeless for over four decades, the SleepOut has united generations of students and those who give so generously to them, to help transform compassion into tangible change.”

To access the SleepOut 24 official promotional video, click here »