30.08.2017
Dalkey Parishioners Extend Welcome to People Living in Direct Provision
Parishioners from St Patrick’s Parish and the Church of the Assumption, Dalkey recently hosted a day out at Dublin Zoo for group of asylum seekers living in Mosney Direct Provison Centre in County Meath.
On August 21 the group of 33 people from Mosney and their Dalkey hosts braved torrential rain to see the new Zoorassic World exhibition at Dublin Zoo, as well as the usual elephants, lions and tigers.
Rector of Dalkey, the Revd Bruce Hayes spoke of the aims of their initiative. He said: “We are trying to reach out to asylum seekers in the hope that we, in our own small way can counteract the isolating effects of the Direct Provision System and to encourage integration with a local community”.
The initiative follows on from an event in June when asylum seekers were welcomed to Dalkey town and given a tour of the local Heritage Centre and then brought out to lunch. On that day one of the asylum seekers said: “We are living in a system where the basic respect craved by every man/woman is washed out of us. That is the part I thank you like you have never been thanked before. You the people of Dalkey with what you did yesterday, your large presence, your warm smiles and eagerness to associate, made us feel proud, loved, wanted and human. Things that the direct provision and being an asylum seeker have tried to erode from us”.
The trip to the zoo was just one element of the parish’s efforts. St Patrick’s new ‘Welcome Table’ project is now up and running. The aim of the project is to enable asylum seekers living in Direct Provision Centres to access cooking facilities to prepare their own food.
Participants will be given access to the kitchen in St Patrick’s where a meal will be cooked. Some of the food prepared will be eaten together at the ‘Welcome Table’ with the local hosts. The rest of the food can be taken back to the Direct Provision Centre to use at another time.
The parish welcomes support for its project and an online donation facility as well as further information on the project are available on the parish website: www.stpatricksdalkey.com/welcome–table