The Waterford site of global biopharmaceutical company Sanofi is providing €10,000 to Barnardos to help the charity deliver additional supports to local families during the COVID-19 crisis.
The funding will allow the charity meet some of the extra needs created by the global pandemic among local children and families living with homelessness, addiction, domestic violence, persistent poverty or other social problems.
Welcoming the funding, Una Conroy, Project Leader, Barnardos Waterford, said: "This is a real boost to us at a difficult time for the vulnerable families we work with. We are seeing significant extra demand at the moment from existing client families, returning families who we've worked with before and new people connecting with us for the first time. In parallel to that, our fundraising has taken a real hit because of the restrictions to help stop the spread of COVID-19. This makes the funding all the more important.
"We have a long-standing relationship with Sanofi whose team have always been generous supporters of our Christmas Appeal and we received additional funding from the Sanofi Espoir Foundation last year as part of their Season of Solidarity Challenge. This latest support will go a long way in Waterford at this tough time."
Martin O'Leary, Head of Human Resources (H.R.), Sanofi Waterford, said: "We're delighted to be able to help Barnardos meet at least some of the extra demand for their services generated by COVID-19. This is a very anxious time for everyone but especially for those who started out with the least. The work that Barnardos and other charities do with those who need their support was perhaps never more important. Their continued efforts will make a real difference."
