A Dublin woman has said families are approaching her in tears for communion dresses as the cost of living crisis escalates.
Theresa Kelly founded Special Occasions six years ago in order to help families unable to afford communion dresses and suits. Theresa recounted overhearing an unsettling conversation in her local post office, where a mother admitted to going to a money lender to get the funds for her daughter's dress.
This revelation prompted her to donate her daughters communion dresses to those in need, which eventually blossomed into a much larger initiative. Theresa now has a shop in Edenmore where people can select their communion dresses free of charge and said there's been a huge increase in families looking for donations.
READ MORE: Social welfare Ireland: Thousands of carers could qualify for up to €1,644 a month payment
Theresa told Dublin Live: "The cost of living is spiralling and some people can’t even afford to feed their kids. Some families are coming in to us in tears to say they’re ashamed of themselves, when the dress is realistically only worn for a couple of hours that day and for photos in school on Monday."
Special Occasions also offers a limited amount of confirmation dresses free of charge. People who can are encouraged to make a small donation to the store, which goes towards sourcing clothes for the homeless community in Ireland.
Theresa explained that the community have rallied around the cause, with local families offering up their children's communion outfits. She even received a heart-warming video from a young girl who wanted to donate her communion dress to someone in need.
She added: "There are terrible cases of hardship out there and they're genuine. There was a woman last week who sobbed because she couldn't find anything that could fit her child on free sites."
Theresa is determined to help families grappling with rising costs. She will join forces with the Northside Partnership this June to offer cooking classes to families on a budget, with the six week course taking place in St Monica's Youth Centre.
People looking to donate or access dresses can do so via Special Occasions Facebook page. The shop in Edenmore will remain open until the end of May, when communion season comes to an end.
READ MORE
- Dubliners aged 55 and up can get wills written for free in new campaign
- ITV confirms Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield's fate amid growing pressure
- Social welfare recipients warned of payment date change in the coming weeks
- Chicken goujons, salmon and chocolate desserts among major food recalls from Tesco, Lidl and Dunnes
- Calls to recognise unsung hero Garda who rescued drowning man from River Liffey
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox.
