b'COPE GALWAYCOPE Galway has been providing a domestic abuseThe support of The Ireland Funds has allowed usIthasallowedustomeetmothersandtheirservice in Galway for almost 40 years, where we haveto develop a comprehensive, child-centered domesticchildren in that area of the county that is morealways sought to support people who are experienc- abuse support service which recognizes and acceptsconvenient for them.Itisnotalwaysfeasibletoing abuse, and the aftermath of that abuse, as well asthe child as a victim of domestic abuse, and whereexpect a mother to come to the city with a childworking to address the fundamentals in our societychildrens physical, emotional, cognitive, social andfor an appointment. We want to make the service as which allow domestic abuse to happen. behavioral development is supported. We have beenaccessible as possible by coming to them in a safe Formuchofthese40yearsweoperatedfrom able to employ three sta who work directly withplace agreed by both parties. Waterside House, a building in Galway city centerchildren to unwind some of the adverse childhoodwhich had become run down and unt for purpose, experiences they would otherwise grow up with.We are now accepting referrals from individuals containing single bedsit type refuge accommodationand other agencieswho are delighted to hear about with shared bathrooms and no cooking facilities, andthe work at our Childrens domestic abuse service. without wheelchair access or any outside space forThesupportwehavereceivedPreviously, we could only manage the families that children to play. After many years of development,came to stay at the refuge.and just as COVID-19 arrived in Ireland, we movedthroughTheIrelandFundsistoabrandnew,state-of-the-artbuildingcalledWehavestartedtoworkwithyoungpeople18 Modh Eile House, which is now the new home of ourallowing us to create real and25yearswhohaveexperiencedviolenceand domestic abuse service and refuge in Galway. abuse as a childor who have experienced a datinglastingchange,toproperlyrelationship that was abusive. We have the expertise Hope and Home: Healing at Modh Eile House to identify and verify for young people that what theyModh Eile, which means Another Way in Irish, wasandpromptlyaddresscriticalexperienced was abusive and wrong and can oer named by women who had been supported by ourissues which hinder a childs life.them support in a therapeutic way on their journey domestic abuse service and wanted to give a mes- towards healing.sage of hope to other women who would experienceTheIrelandFundsisliterallydomestic abuse in the future. Modh Eile House alsoThe support of mothers is important for long term represented another way for usit nally allowed ushelping us to change lives. healing.We have always understood that by sup-to provide a place for women and children that wasportingthemothertounderstandtheimpacton not only safe, but also clean, warm, welcoming andthe child, we will double the eorts of the healingproperly equipped to support family life. process for the child. WithinweeksofCOVID-19lockdown,COPE The Ireland Funds Impact on our Work GalwayopenedModhEileHouse,ensuringthat with FamiliesThe Ireland Funds Impact on Older People women and their children who were experiencingWiththesupportofTheIrelandFunds,COPE Across Galwayabuse within their own homes had somewhere safeGalwaysdomesticabuseservicehasbeenableCOPE Galway has also beneted from a 40,000 they could come to. Concerned that women were tohirethreeadditionalchildcareworkersto grant from The Ireland Funds COVID-19 Response either not aware that the service was available duringwork directly with children who have experiencedFund and used this grant to make sure that every old-lockdown, or that they were worried about contracting domestic abuse. This has allowed us to achieve theer person in Galway had access to the best nutritious COVID-19 in a refuge setting, we undertook a pub- following: food delivered right to their doors, so that they could licity campaign through supermarkets, pharmacies protect themselves from the COVID-19 pandemic and at bus stations to communicate the availability,We expanded our team to ensure that we can coverand keep themselves healthy and well. Since March and safety of our service. areas in Galway city and county.We have partnered2020 COPE Galway have provided 41,058 meals to with other agencies and schools who facilitate us249 older people in Galway city and county and this Supporting the Unique Needs of Childrenby oering a room in their service in order to makenumber continues to increase every day.in Crisis our domestic abuse service more accessible. HavingWiththisCOVID-19grantfundingCOPEThanks in part to The Ireland Funds, the move toadditional sta can also ensure that the service thatGalwaywerealsoabletoreachoutto343olderModh Eile House allowed us to change our model of families receive while staying in refuge is consistent,people through our telephone helpline and on a one workingwithchildren,allowingustonallyputand tailored to the familys needs. Each child is seento one basis in person, and we oered practical and into practice what we knew was necessary if these as a client in their own right with their own individu- emotional supports where needed to some of the children were to stand a chance of recovery and heal- al needs, and not just a member of the family. more vulnerable and isolated older people who are ing and of not having an abusive start dominate theirliving in our community.life chances.connect 202032'