I welcome the decision to repurpose Community Response fora in each Local Authority area to coordinate the local response to those displaced by the war in Ukraine.
In recent weeks, we have seen fantastic community mobilisation to welcome and assist people who are fleeing Ukraine. This has supported recent arrivals with basic needs such as clothing, access to the internet, and information on local services.
I met and spoke with community groups who told me that there is a lot of good-will in the community but that coordination was needed. The Government recognises this and has supported the repurposing of Community Response Fora in each Local Authority.
Laois County Council has provided an email address as central point of contact responseforum@laoiscoco.ie. Read more here Ukraine Support Information – Laois County Council.
Offaly County Council are to provide a central point of contact this week.
I am very grateful to the Councils for their willingness to pivot the Community Response Fora which were originally set up, with great effect, to coordinate Covid-19 pandemic response.
Each Community Response Forum is to identify and map services and service providers, coordinate the provision of local supports and harness offers of assistance from within the community.
I too want to play my part at a local level and, as part of that, I have sought to fill the position of Secretarial Assistant with the Ukrainian language to coordinate my local response and support to this humanitarian crisis. Read more here....
For more information please see gov.ie/ukraine