Mid-West event on hosting accommodation for Ukrainians

On Thursday, October 13, at 6pm, Doras and Limerick City and County Council (LCCC) are holding a regional information event for anyone who is providing host accommodation for Ukrainians in and around the Mid West region. It will take place in the Kilmurry Lodge Hotel, Dublin Road, Limerick, Limerick, V94 WTC9.

This is an opportunity for people to meet other hosts, and to ask questions of experts in the field. Representatives from the Irish Red Cross, LCCC, Doras and other organisations involved in supporting hosts and beneficiaries will be present.

According to Doras CEO John Lannon, the people of Tipperary and the Mid-West region are rising to the humanitarian challenge and there is a strong appetite to do more when it comes to offering safe sanctuary to that fleeing war.

“We’re living through a historic moment where a staggering 7.5 million people have been forced to flee Ukraine in search of safety," he says. "If we think about this, it’s harrowing. Mainly women and children, in the face of the horror of war, leaving with often just a bag of clothes and no idea of what the future holds. This is so often the case for refugees, no matter where they are fleeing from, including Afghanistan and Syria. Over 50,000 Ukrainians have been welcomed here. The Irish response has been remarkable. However, we’re also seeing now that people are being forced into often cold, cramped and unsafe conditions. So it’s a bigger question for all of us, to ask what more can we do? Needless to say, people have their own struggles and challenges with the cost of living but we’ve seen over the past year that there are people out there more than willing to help. This event is about furthering the hand of friendship to the people of Ukraine. It will provide information on how individuals, families and communities can help host Ukrainian and other refugees and provide detail on what supports are available. We welcome anyone that is curious to come along and hear from our guest speakers and take part in a questions and answers session."

The session on Thursday will start at 6pm with an opportunity to meet and discuss over light refreshments. At 7pm, a number of organisations will present on what you should know as a host (vetting, agreement, etc), relationships with your guests and what they should expect, the services and supports available to your guest, training for hosts, and the responding to challenges in the hosting of refugees.

This event will also be of interest to others involved in supporting people from Ukraine.

FURTHER DETAILS

More information and registration at www.Doras.org.