This article is from page 30 of the 2008-06-24 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 30 JPG
THE Brothers of Charity have opened their first ever respite house in Shannon. The facility, located in the Cluainin housing estate, will pro- vide short breaks for people with dis- abilities.
The four-bedroomed house is staffed by support workers and is available four days and nights every week. It is primarily geared towards Service users 1n the Shannon, Sixmi-
lebridge and Bunratty areas.
The house was funded by the Health Service Executive, while ad- ditional funding was made available through Shannon Parents and Friends (€5,000) and St Senan’s Social Club (€2,000), while the Shannon mayor’s ball also yielded more than €5,000 for the new facility.
“It 1s the first such facility provided by the Brothers of Charity in Shan- non. It means that people can come and spend three or four nights at the
house,” said Helen Minogue of the Brothers of Charity in Shannon.
“It is about breaks for families. There is a social aspect to it,” she added.
‘Respite is the one thing that comes up all the time. People are always asking for respite. This facility has been on the cards for the past four years,’ added Ms Minogue.
“We were offering breaks in a small apartment in Ballycasey, but this is a house especially for respite.
We will open it as much as we can, particularly during the summer,’ she added.