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Category: Newsletter

NOVAS Business Breakfast 2026

Posted on by Aoife McDarby

On Monday morning, 9 February, more than 300 members of Limerick’s business community gathered at the Castletroy Park Hotel for the second NOVAS Business Breakfast. The sell-out event showed strong support for NOVAS services across the region.

Key Ingredients kindly sponsored the event. Throughout the morning, speakers highlighted the ongoing challenges of homelessness and addiction. They also outlined the vital work NOVAS carries out both locally and nationally.

Inspiring Guest Speaker Rachael Blackmore

Champion jockey Rachael Blackmore joined MC Gillian Barry for an engaging fireside chat. Their conversation entertained the audience and brought energy to the early start. Guests responded warmly to the honest and inspiring discussion.

Strong Community and Political Support

Several elected representatives attended the event. Among them were Deputy Conor Sheehan, Minister Kieran O’Donnell, TD Maurice Quinlivan and Cllr Peter Doyle.

Leah McMahon, Limerick Rose and NOVAS volunteer, also attended. She was joined by hurling legend Declan Hannon and many other supporters from the local community.

Supporting More Than 6,000 People Each Year

NOVAS, headquartered in Limerick City, supports more than 6,000 people across Ireland each year. The organisation delivers services throughout Limerick, the wider Mid-West region and Dublin.

These services include:

  • Emergency homeless accommodation
  • Social housing
  • Family and child support services
  • Recovery services
  • Street outreach support

Appreciation from NOVAS CEO

NOVAS CEO Una Deasy thanked everyone who supported the breakfast. She expressed her appreciation for the “immense support and generosity” shown by attendees.

She paid special tribute to the organising committee volunteers who gave their time, expertise and energy to deliver the event. She also thanked MC Gillian Barry, Rachael Blackmore, Pat McDonagh and the staff at the Castletroy Park Hotel for their support.

Funding the Street Outreach Service

The event will fund the NOVAS Street Outreach Service. This volunteer-led team works in Limerick City every evening. Volunteers provide warm food, hot drinks, clothing and essential support to anyone in need.

NOVAS is currently seeking a new food partner to support this vital service. The organisation encourages local businesses to get in touch if they would like to get involved.

A Strong Show of Support

The Business Breakfast was a major success. It demonstrated the commitment of local businesses to tackling social issues and supporting some of the most vulnerable people in the community.

NOVAS Launches New Street Outreach Mobile Unit to Support Limerick

Posted on by Katharina Mullen

Earlier this month, we were thrilled to launch our new Street Outreach mobile unit, which is now fully in service, thanks to the generous donations of people across Limerick city and county. We were delighted to be joined by clients and volunteers to mark this important milestone. 

Our Street Outreach mobile unit provides hot meals, sleeping bags, toiletries, basic first aid to people experiencing homelessness, rough sleeping and poverty across the city. With this new vehicle, we will now operate 365 days a year, offering vital and consistent support to those who need it most. 

NOVAS Street Outreach Van side

Last year alone, our outreach service provided more than 32,000 hot meals to people in need. As demand for our services continues to grow, the new van allows us to respond more effectively and comfortably, ensuring that no one is left without support. 

Recent research carried out by NOVAS in collaboration with University of Limerick sociology student Jack Matthew Copley found that over 80% of our clients use the service daily or several times a week. This highlights just how essential the Street Outreach Van is to the people who rely on it. 

NOVAS Street Outreach Van Interior

Run by our dedicated volunteers and supported by NOVAS staff, the service offers more than practical assistance. It provides a consistent point of connection, dignity, and compassion for people who may feel isolated or forgotten. 

Last year’s fundraising campaign was a great success and made this new van possible We would like to sincerely thank the people of Limerick for their continued generosity and support. Thanks to the public, local businesses, and the wider community. 

Together, we are continuing our commitment to supporting Limerick’s homeless community with care, respect, and compassion. 

Fostering relationships and inclusion: A story of love, support and community

Posted on by Katharina Mullen

Meet Lorraine and Dennis, who first crossed paths seven years ago. Like any couple, they share inside jokes, support each other through challenging days, and dream about their future together. What makes their story special is how our team at Forge Park (Kerry Disability Service) has supported them individually and as a couple, helping them build the skills and confidence needed to live fulfilled lives and maintain a thriving relationship.

The team at Forge Park remains committed to providing continued support for Lorraine and Dennis’s relationship, ensuring they both experience a meaningful and fulfilling partnership. We understand that relationships can present unique challenges for individuals, requiring patience, understanding, and support approaches.

Building Individual Identities within Partnership

Supporting Lorraine and Dennis involves giving respect, communicating clearly and patiently, and providing empowerment-focused assistance that helps them build strong individual identities within their relationship. While Dennis lives in the community and receives individual support from NOVAS, he spends weekends with Lorraine at her residential home in Forge Park.

Both partners regularly communicate their needs to their keyworkers, who help them navigate various relationship situations. When weekend visits presented some challenges due to their unique individual needs, our team worked collaboratively with the couple to explore their wants and requirements in a supportive environment where questions and concerns were always welcome.

Creating Solution Together

Through open dialogue and careful planning, we developed strategies to help both Lorraine and Dennis better manage their shared weekend time. This included important work around boundaries and consent—fundamental aspects of any healthy relationship.

Dennis brings his love of walks, conversations, radio, and gardening to the relationship, along with his wonderful sense of humour and hearty laugh. Lorraine values her privacy and has a passion for music and dancing. She takes pride in styling her own hair and has a particular fondness for anything in baby pink. Together, they enjoy sharing drinks and takeaways during their weekend time.

Combating Loneliness through Connection

Investing in their relationship addresses a significant challenge facing many people of our services: loneliness. This partnership has a profound positive impact on both individuals’ mental health, social connections, and overall quality of life.

Recently, Lorraine and Dennis celebrated Lorraine’s birthday—a truly special day that highlighted the joy their relationship brings to their lives. Looking ahead, they’re excited about upcoming “date days,” a new initiative we’re introducing to facilitate healthy relationship development through community engagement.

Abdulaziz’ Story – Street Outreach Volunteer

Posted on by Katharina Mullen

I started volunteering with the Street Outreach Team during my college work placement with NOVAS and have continued to volunteer as well as working full time with NOVAS in McGarry House as a project worker.

I have always had a passion for helping vulnerable people. During my placement with NOVAS, I saw first-hand the difference that support can make for someone in crisis. It was this experience that inspired me to continue volunteering for my community.

I believe that every person deserves dignity, compassion and support, especially during difficult times.

A typical night as street outreach volunteer starts at Brother Russell House, where a volunteer driver brings the outreach van to our meeting point on William Street. We prepare hot meals and drinks before people begin to arrive.

There is normally a big turnout. We serve dinners donated from Greenhills Hotel or other donors, along with bags of fruit, sandwiches, soup and bread, and flasks of tea and coffee. We also take time to talk to people. Clients often build strong relationships with us as volunteers and staff. They begin to trust us and feel safe confiding in us. It’s quite common for people to open up about struggles they’re facing with their mental health.

One experience that stands out to me was when we helped a man who had been sleeping rough for weeks during the freezing weather. He had lost contact with his family and didn’t have any ID or access to support services in Limerick.

That night we gave him hot food and a sleeping bag. Over time we supported him in reconnecting with services and securing emergency accommodation through NOVAS.

It was a powerful reminder of how vital these outreach efforts are for people in extremely vulnerable situations.

We currently need a new van. The van is essential for transporting food and supplies, but it is becoming unreliable. At times it won’t even start.

The van is also quite cramped, especially when we are carrying a full load of food and equipment. A larger van would allow us to transport more supplies, serve more people, and work more efficiently, particularly during bad weather or on very busy nights.

NOVAS help a lot of people through their work and I wanted to be a part of it.

I have recently accepted a place on the Community and Addiction Studies – BA (Hons), Level 8 degree at the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS). I will begin my studies this September. While pursuing my degree, I will continue working and volunteering with NOVAS. I am proud to stay involved with the community and support those experiencing homelessness.

Lola’s Furever Home

Posted on by novas-admin

“My name is David and I have been living in NOVAS Mitchel St Project since August 2023. Previous to this I had been homeless for over 3 years, couch surfing between friends and family. During that time my addiction and dependency on drugs increased and my mental health suffered too. I first met Lola when she belonged to someone else and I could see he was not taking care of her properly. She is a lovely Patterdale breed and I could tell she was miserable. I asked him could I look after her even though I had no home, but I could not leave her there. He agreed and since then Lola has become my forever companion. I was lucky she is such a quiet dog and so loyal that she could stay with me wherever I went.

When I moved into NOVAS at first she would stay with my brother at night and I would collect her first thing every morning. That was my routine for a while until NOVAS staff could see how much I missed her when she was gone. I asked the staff could Lola stay over one or two nights on a trial basis and from then on she got to stay with me full time. Lola is my best friend, she goes everywhere with me, to clinics, to appointments. I get up every morning to walk her and she has brought structure and focus to my life. I have to think about her when I am making any decisions good or bad. I am now very determined to get a home with a small garden just for the two of us. She has also become everyone’s friend in the project, staff and other clients love to pet her and give her treats.

I wish I had met Lola years ago as I feel I would not have gone down the road I have but now I feel any decision I make or action I do are positive ones.

She has been my lifesaver.”

Ger’s Story – Street Outreach Volunteer

Posted on by novas-admin

Having grown up in a sports mad city like Limerick in the 70s and 80s and especially being reared at the top of Garryowen Green I always felt well plugged into the heartbeat of life around the place.  Living in the shadow of St John’s Cathedral there was always something going on and interaction with people of all walks of life was common as each day we bumped into residents of St Joseph’s Hospital where my father worked or indeed passing the prison which was a high security unit during that time.  My mother was a darling and many is the meal she provided for those in need of it, thus showing us how charity and decency began at home.

That local upbringing when times were so much simpler and uncomplicated definitely introduced me to the fact that life can be kind to some and less kind to others through no fault of their own such as losing a job, marriage breakdown, alcohol issues and so many other reasons.

I always wanted to give something back and through a contact Donal O Carroll, I was introduced to an organisation called NOVAS that do so much wonderful work in being there for those down on their luck.

NOVAS do buckets of good work but the area I helped out with was the Street Outreach Programme or soup run as its better known. It does exactly what it says on the tin and delivers a hot meal and drink for clients who come from across society 365 days a year. I usually drive the bus with a volunteer and along the way we pick up grub from local businesses who are happy to extend the hand of friendship quietly (The Greenhills, Hook & Ladder and Noms) and this is then distributed with a smile at the top of William St each evening around 7pm. The whole exercise between picking up the NOVAS Van to distribution is around an hour maybe an hour and a half at most and all us volunteers find it hugely rewarding.

The other area we help out is with the temporary shelters on Edward St where clients have overnight accommodation which means a good hot meal, a shower and a night rest after being on the streets all day which must be desperate difficult. Again this whole exercise takes no longer than an hour so not a huge drain on volunteer time.

One of the things I most admire about all the volunteers and staff of NOVAS is that everything is done in a quiet, non-judgemental manner.  All clients who show up at the various service outlets are treated with total respect and enjoy the chat and banter with volunteers who they get to know over time.

A pleasure to be involved, be it only in a small way and delighted and thankful to NOVAS for providing the opportunity.

Ger Hegarty

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