Latest news with #OpenDoor
Irish Independent
5 days ago
- General
- Irish Independent
Wicklow man's third charity head shave has poignant cause
Nicky Cox, who is the grandson of one of Open Door's founding members Mary Hackett, first had his head shaved to support the organisation for adults with physical disabilities in 2020. It took him around two and a half years to grow his long, golden locks back, but when he did, he had his head shaved once again in aid of Open Door. Those two events raised more than €4,000, but he is hoping that his third head shave, which took place at his family home in Greystones last Saturday, will surpass that. The tally has already reached €3,000. 'A huge thank you to everyone who has donated to the hair shave so far,' he said. 'In the first 24 hours, the fundraiser had already made it halfway to the target. 'This was not originally the reason I started the head shave at the time it was launched it, but it comes at a time when funds are greatly needed.' Open Door's main fundraising event each year is the Midsummer Lunch, which was due to take place this month. Nicky explained that this lunch has always been cooked by Chris Daly and John Tutty, but sadly Chris died in April. 'Each year, the lunch was prepared and cooked by the excellent chefs and gentlemen, Chris Daly and John Tutty,' said Nicky. 'Unfortunately earlier this year, Chris sadly passed away after an illness and is sadly missed by all. He was always excellent company to be around and to work with. 'Therefore, it was decided to cancel this year's Midsummer Lunch out of respect for his family and friends. 'So as there will be no fundraising from the lunch this year, I would like my headshave to help raise funds for Open Door both in place of the lunch and in memory of Chris. Anything anyone can give, great or small, would be greatly appreciated.' Nicky added: 'Open Door provides a fantastic service to adults with physical disabilities where people can take part in activities such as woodwork, ceramics, mosaics, art, crafts and physiotherapy in the purpose built centre on the Vevay Road in Bray.'
Irish Independent
5 days ago
- Health
- Irish Independent
Wicklow woman paralysed for years recovers to walk 10k VHI Women's Mini Marathon
Setting off from Inch, just across the Wexford border, on her rollator with her dear friend and trainer Pat Byrne in tow, Arklow woman Leslie Kirwan took on the longest walk she has undertaken since she was diagnosed 15 years ago. An emotional journey for both Lesley and former Coral Leisure Arklow duty manager Pat, who have worked together at the centre to improve Lesley's strength and resilience, the dynamic duo were awestruck by the public's support along the way, and the huge crowd of friends and family who assembled at Tesco in Arklow to welcome them home. Still on cloud nine, Lesley said she has not only experienced highs and lows with her physical disability, but with her mental health, and hopes that her story will encourage others with mental health issues to seek support from family, friends and local organisations and groups. Reflecting on her achievement, Lesley paid tribute to all those who donated to her online fundraiser (which currently stands at €2,010), and gave a heartfelt mention to Pat, Coral Arklow and Open Door, which provides facilities and activities for adults with physical disabilities. 'The walk was tough going, but it was more emotional than anything else,' Lesley began. 'I had a brain tumour 15 years ago when I was in Australia, and I ended up in a wheelchair and couldn't talk or walk. I'm home now, being cared for by my family and my rehabilitation at Open Door in Bray, where I was attending full time, but I'm only doing it on Mondays and Tuesdays now for physio. 'When I arrived there first, I was introduced to a physio, and he had me walking and talking in four and a half years, and the rehab has been ongoing ever since. Open Door has been fantastic, and that's why I chose them as my charity for this fundraiser. 'I have to mention my gym, Coral Leisure Arklow, who have been fantastic with me from day one and is actually where I met Pat and where he brought me for the first time when I was in a wheelchair. 'He started training with me from then on and, in all the years I've been going there, I've just kept improving. 'It began with strength and restraint training and all the rest of that, and then it has developed into the Mini Marathon. 'I'm very lucky – that's the way I see it,' she continued. 'I'm very lucky that I could do the 10k, especially with Pat, who is my trainer and my friend. It was very emotional for both Pat and me, and also for my family to see the support from the community for us and the fundraiser. 'We got dropped off at Inch and walked back to Arklow, and there were a couple of passers-by who joined in to support us with the walk, and they walked the whole way with us, which was fantastic. 'We aimed for two and a half hours, and we finished it in two hours and nine minutes, which was very good. Deputy Brian Brennan joined us down at the start, and then everyone, including my mother, Cllr Peir Leonard, and Open Door, met us at Tesco, where they had balloons and a bit of bubbly. 'Our target was €1,000, and we're up to a little over €2,000 at the moment on the iDonate page, with some more cash to add from registered cards, so we're over the moon with people's generosity.' Astounded by Lesley's progress and proud to have helped her on her journey through rehabilitation, Pat, who served as Coral Leisure Arklow's duty manager for over two decades, said that his training partner's story and irrepressible attitude have inspired many an Arklow resident, himself included. 'Lesley is very modest, but she's a huge inspiration to everyone in the town, including myself,' Pat said. 'I used to be the duty manager at Coral Leisure Arklow, until I retired three years ago, and only for Lesley, I wouldn't have been back in the gym. So, she has helped me cut a bit of the weight I put on after my retirement! 'Everyone in the town knows her and everyone loves her, and it was great to see the support for her throughout the fundraiser, both in terms of people donating and showing their support on the day and the lead up to it.' Declaring her admiration and commending Lesley for completing her 10k challenge, Cllr Peir Leonard commented: 'I have the utmost respect and admiration for what she achieved with the support of Pat Byrne and Coral Leisure Centre and that her chosen charity is a very worthy one and I would encourage people to support it by donating to Lesley's iDonate page. 'I think Lesley has reminded us all that there is always a way to overcome life's obstacles and challenges if you have the willpower to.' 'Lesley's incredible efforts were an example to all of us of what can be done if you put your mind to something,' Deputy Brian Brennan added. 'Her positive attitude and inner strength were a joy to witness on Sunday. For Lesley to complete such a task for a cause close to her heart was a great achievement. 'I would also like to congratulate her family and support team, and a special mention to Pat Byrne, who never left Lesley's side.'
Montreal Gazette
15-05-2025
- Health
- Montreal Gazette
Innu man who froze to death in Montreal ‘not solely responsible for his fate,' coroner says
By Gaps in health-care services, COVID-19 restrictions and a lack of resources for the unhoused all contributed to an Innu man's death in Montreal in 2021, a Quebec coroner has concluded. Coroner Stéphanie Gamache has put forward 23 recommendations as a result, including that Quebec bolster services for Indigenous people in the health network and better fund resources for the unhoused. Raphaël 'Napa' André, 51, was found frozen to death in a portable toilet in January 2021, steps away from a homeless shelter that had paused overnight stays due to pandemic restrictions. 'We must express our indignation at the fact that several doors were closed to Mr. André in the last months of his life,' Gamache wrote in her 75-page report published Thursday morning. 'Many people worked with dedication and to the best of their abilities to try to help Mr. André,' she continued. 'However, despite all the efforts made, I found several gaps in the trajectory of care and services until his death.' A public coroner's inquest into André's death was held last summer, hearing from 51 witnesses over two weeks and leading to Thursday's report. Originally from the Innu village of Matimekush-Lac John in northern Quebec, André struggled with chronic alcoholism and was a regular at Montreal shelters serving the Indigenous community. A week before his death, Quebec instituted a province-wide curfew to stem the surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations and the shelter where he was a regular, the Open Door, was no longer accommodating overnight stays. The inquest heard how, on the day before he was found dead, André visited shelters three times and was treated at the ER of the CHUM hospital in downtown Montreal. He walked to another shelter after leaving the hospital, but was told by a worker he couldn't stay the night because he didn't want to take a COVID-19 test. He then went back to the Open Door, but was eventually told he had to leave because there were no more overnight stays. He was found the next morning in the portable toilet. Despite the fact it was only about minus-3 C that night, a pathologist ruled it was hypothermia that killed him. His blood alcohol level was more than four times the legal driving limit. 'Had a door been opened for him, and had he had a warm and safe place to stay for the night, it is clear to me … that he would not have died, even though he was highly intoxicated by alcohol,' Gamache wrote in her report on Thursday. 'It is therefore impossible for me to conclude that Mr. André was solely responsible for his fate.' Gamache paints a detailed portrait of the years and months leading to André's death in her report, analyzing each of the interactions he had with the health network, police, and homeless shelters. She questions why no one took charge of him after losing his family doctor in 2020 — despite his many health issues — and how he was allowed to continue slipping through the cracks in his last days. Gamache notes that she heard several different theories as to why André sought shelter in the portable toilet the night of his death, including that he might have been trying to hide from police given his distrust in authorities and the curfew that was in place. 'Mr. André's last refuge' 'The many hypotheses raised do not change the obvious, which is that this chemical toilet becomes Mr. André's last refuge, since no other place is accessible to him,' Gamache wrote. She also noted how, a few days after André's death, a shuttle began making the rounds at night to redirect unhoused people to shelters that were open. While questioning whether the service could have saved André's life, Gamache noted it certainly would have improved his chances at survival. But as the report makes clear, homeless shelters and the health services governing them were scrambling to adapt to the pandemic and the upheaval it brought. 'In the future, we need to ensure that we have a response adapted to the problems of unhoused people in the context of a health emergency,' Gamache wrote. Gamache's recommendations revolve around five themes. They include the importance of ensuring unhoused people are properly followed in the health network and securing permanent funding for emergency shelters. Gamache will present her findings at a news conference Thursday.
Newsweek
28-04-2025
- General
- Newsweek
Woman Buys House, Years Later Finds 'Extra Room' Which Isn't on the Plans
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A homeowner is reeling from the discovery of a hidden room found 13 years after they first purchased the property. When Laura Kohler and her husband first moved into their home in Munich, Germany, she had no idea of the secret lurking within its foundations. It was until some recent essential construction work that the truth was revealed. "We had to redo our front stairs as they became a safety hazard as ants were eating away the mortar," Kohler told Newsweek. "When they were removing the stairs, the construction workers discovered that they were not a solid block as expected, but a floating piece of concrete. Under the stairs, and behind them under our front hallway, was an empty space." The secret room uncovered in a Munich home. The secret room uncovered in a Munich home. Laura Kohler Measuring around 5 feet by 13 feet, the discovery of the small space had everyone baffled. "The architect we work with for renovations has no idea what it could've been for," Kohler said. "Nothing was in it aside from used planks. It's also not on the original house plans submitted to the city." The man who built the house had passed away in 2012, most likely taking the reasons for building this secret room with him. Kohler has her own ideas as to why it came into existence. "My theory is that it's there because he originally had plans for it but then discovered that there was no easy way to access it without putting in a new door and support beams from the basement," she said. Whatever plans the previous owner had, Kohler and her husband already have an idea of how to make good use of the space, once it has been properly insulated. "We will be using it as a utility room, freeing up some space in the room we're planning to make into a third bathroom," she said. The discovery of the extra room is definitely a cause for celebration with Kohler estimating it could add as much as €66,000 ($75,000 USD roughly) to the value of the house, given the demand for property in Munich. "The cost per square meter in our part of Munich is about €11,300 ($12,800 roughly)," she said. Studies have shown that additions of this kind can increase the value of a property. According to real estate company OpenDoor, renovating a basement space can boost the value of a home by $22,000, while adding another bedroom can boost sale value by around $20,000. What makes the uncovering of the secret room extra special for Kohler is that she had a premonition about it. "I literally dreamt there was an extra room in our basement for several months before and told my husband about it, thankfully, so we were both pretty shocked when we actually found one," she said. Laura Kohler's contractor has opened up the secret space from the outside. Laura Kohler's contractor has opened up the secret space from the outside. Laura Kohler Kohler said in one of the dreams, their architect found "an extra room under our basement" while, even stranger still, in another, she dreamt "he found a room under the bird clock in the hallway," which is where the space ended up being found. Not that the dreams themselves were all that pleasant. In fact, Kohler is taking no chances. "The dreams always had something sinister about them, though, so I will be cleansing the space with the help of a friend before we use it," Kohler said.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Longmont's Calvary Open Door ESL/high school equivalency program celebrates 19 graduates
Dressed in caps and gowns, graduates in Longmont celebrated a major milestone Saturday evening: achieving their high school equivalency degrees. During a bilingual ceremony at Longmont's Venture Church, graduates of the Calvary Open Door program received certificates of completion for passing their high school equivalency classes. This year's class had 19 graduates, with 13 attending the ceremony in person. Barbara Ulrich, director of Open Door, said the Class of 2025 is the largest pool of graduates the program has had in its decade of operation. Calvary Open Door is an academic prep program that helps adults work toward their high school equivalency degrees. Program participants take classes and tests at Venture Church, formerly Calvary Church, at 2101 Gay St. Ulrich explained that students needed to pass five tests to graduate: reading, writing, math, science and social studies. Each graduate receives a diploma from the Colorado Department of Education. 'That is a huge accomplishment,' Ulrich said. 'It's been awesome for me to watch this journey.' This year's graduates are Abel Villegas, Alma Berumen, Annallely Mesa, Dulce Guzman, Eloisa Bailon, Erika Leeticia Escalante, 'Faviola' Maria Gandara Bayona, Jose Matos, Juan Azdar, Juliza Hernandez, Luke Arnott, Maria Elena Rico, Maria de la Luz Rodriquez, Maria Soto Lozano, Martha Galvan Ceniceros, Oralia Macias, Tomas Scott, Valeria Aguilar Loera, and Wendy Clavel. Ulrich said students of all ages and backgrounds come through the program. So far, the oldest student to participate in Open Door was 65. 'You're never too late to get your diploma,' Ulrich said. Graduate Abel Villegas called getting his high school equivalency degree a 'significant step' for his life. 'The achievements in our lives are a reflection of what we do,' Villegas said. 'We have to work hard for the things that we want in the future.' Villegas addressed his classmates, encouraging them to follow their dreams. Luke Arnott, left, and Juliza Hernandez, hold up their Graduation Certificates during the group photo. There were 20 graduates in this year's Calvary Open Door ESL class. Graduates received their HSE diplomas from the Colorado Department of Education on April 26, 2025.(Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer) 'Turn your dreams into reality,' Villegas told them. 'Be brave. Life is not easy. It requires effort and commitment.' Open Door teachers handed the graduates their certificates and congratulated them on reaching this point. 'Everybody in my class from last summer passed,' said Jodi Benson, a social studies teacher for Open Door. Benson explained that most of the students had to balance responsibilities in their lives on top of their studies. 'They come back to school, maybe after having kids,' Benson said. 'Maybe they're taking these tests in English when their first language is Spanish.' Ana Nieto, who supervises the testing center, said she's familiar with seeing the students nervous while taking their tests. The graduation ceremony, however, was a time for everyone to celebrate. 'When I see them here, I'm very proud of them,' Nieto said of the students. 'I know that it's not easy.'
