Open Arms Kerry Gathers Momentum To Help People With Mental Health Issues

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The Open Arms Kerry committee at the public meeting on June 29 in The Rose Hotel.

IT’S been a good few weeks for The Open Arms Kerry group with donations coming in and a premises secured for holding meetings.

The voluntary group was set up to help people who find themselves in crisis.

“At a time when mental illness is at an all time high, we felt that we as a community can play an important role in helping each other,” said Gerard Collins of the Chairperson of the Project. “Our ultimate aim is to help achieve 24 hour care in Kerry.”

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“Mental health providers are not coping well with the large amount of people in crisis so therefore it is time to make a stand. Each and every one of us has a part to play and the Open Arms Kerry will do everything they can to support others,” he said.

“We have been kindly donated an office space by the Kennelly family at No 6 Castle Street, Tralee to hold meetings which is a very positive step, and we thank them for that. We have also had donations from TRADD, Tralee Lions Club and the family of the late May Fitzgerald, Ballyroe who passed away recently. Without these donations we cannot operate”.

Gerard and the group are asking people to donate any amount they can and they assure the public that all monies raised will go to helping others.

“No member of the OAK committee are earning money from the donation fund. We have helped many families in the past 12 months and we feel now is the time to spread our wings further. We hope to hold public meetings in every major town in the County so if anyone can help us with this then they can contact us at info@openarmskerry

“At our last public meeting in Tralee [in The Rose Hotel on June 29] we heard some harrowing tales from people in crisis and we dealt with some of those on the night.”

As well as Gerard, other speakers on the night were committee member, Roger Harty Noreen Murphy and Michael Glavin of Lisheen House, West Cork  and Cormac Williams of the Psychiatric Nurses Association.

“We will be holding talks with the private and public sectors over the coming weeks in the hope that we can get as much support with this venture as possible,” added Gerard.

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