Where Do Your Beanies Go?

We absolutely love getting to partner with some incredible charities across the UK.

If you’ve ever checked out our Instagram, you’ll see “giving day” posts on our feed. That's because every month we give the hundreds of beanies and blankets that you guys donate through us to our partnered charities. Nothing quite beats a giving day.

We always get asked what charities we donate to and who we work with, so here’s a little introduction to one of them. 

They’re called The Lighthouse.

You can find them in Dublin, busily running their drop in centre that’s open three days a week to feed the local homeless community. Clothes, sleeping gear, and hot, freshly made meals are provided free of charge and served with a smile from their friendly staff. The guys that work there always aim to make genuine connections with the people they serve, continuously building relationships with them. And it's obviously working, because the place is constantly packed. 

The guys at The Lighthouse really do believe in the homeless community they work with. Like they genuinely get behind them and push them on to achieve their hopes and dreams, routing for them to overcome the addictions they battle with, and encouraging them to reunite with their families.

I think that’s what makes the place so special.  

We got chatting to one of the guys who comes here regularly for a cup of tea and a chat. This is what he had to say:

“I’ve been homeless for 7 years. I come to the Lighthouse for my dinner – and get a cup of tea. They always give you what you need – clothes, sleeping bags, you name it. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them. If it wasn’t for the Lighthouse I probably wouldn’t be alive”

Sean Donohoe, the guy who runs the place, had some incredible things to say about why he started working here, and why he would never work anywhere else.

Here’s what he shared with us:

“I used be homeless myself – and since coming off the streets I’ve always had a love in my heart for those who are homeless. It’s so encouraging seeing the work being done here – especially when you look back on people’s lives. Families are back together, people are back on their feet both emotionally and financially, and it’s just such an honour to play a role in seeing those lives transformed”

Last week, we brought over 150 hats and blankets to these guys, and the feedback was amazing.

There were tears, laughter, and hugs of gratitude as we arrived with a box of clothes that you guys donated. But to them, it wasn’t just a box of clothes. It was the thought that someone cared enough to donate a hat to them that caused the water works.

It was that little glimmer of hope and restored faith in humanity that made their day. And that’s all thanks to you.

That’s why we’re never going to stop working alongside these incredible guys who work tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of the most vulnerable in their city.

Why do we work with incredible guys like this? Because we’re constantly learning about what it takes to tackle homelessness. There’s absolutely no way we can achieve our mission to end homelessness on our own, so we love that we get to partner with these guys to do it together. It’s an honour we never want to take for granted.  

We won’t stop until homelessness stops. And we want to take you with us every step of the way.  

Wanna know more about our Dublin trip? We’ll have a full video for you next week documenting the whole journey. Stay tuned.