EVERYONE can do their bit and help make life better for refugees as the crisis continues to grow.
There are a number of collection points for donations in Belfast:
Queen's University, Students Union - Saturday September 5, September 12 and September 19, from 9am to 12 noon
TEN Foundations, 355 Lisburn Road – Monday to Friday, from 10am-6pm
Realta Civic Space, 48 King Street - Monday to Saturday, 12-2pm and 5pm-6pm
If you want to help those who are stuck in Calais, and to find your local drop off point across Northern Ireland to donate money, clothing and other items to help refugees, check out the Northern Ireland Facebook group where people are coordinating the aid:
www.facebook.com/groups/NICalaisRefugeeSolidarity/
- The Belfast refugee solidarity group have asked for specific items including tents, men's clothes, torches, bicycles, and toiletries. Donations can be dropped off at several places across Belfast, including at Queen's Students' Union and the Alliance Party's office in the east of the city.
www.facebook.com/belfastcalaisrefugeesolidarity
Here are some of the other practical ways you can help.
- Ireland Calais Refugee Solidarity have requested donations for refugees staying outside the French port.
You can donate money online at www.gofundme.com/9zwfscys
- You can make a financial donation to charities helping to alleviate the crisis, including Save the Children, Trócaire, and the Red Cross.
Across Europe, citizens and groups have responded to the crisis.
Laura Padoan from the UNHCR, which is providing food, water and help to refugees fleeing Syria and elsewhere, said the organisation has seen a major spike in donations over the past week.
She said "pensioners in Dorset and in Tunbridge Wells" had offered their spare rooms to refugee families.
German football club Bayern Munich is to create a training camp for refugee children while donating a further one million euro towards refugee projects.
- If you or someone you know is helping refugees please let us know via our social media, www.irishnews.com or newsdesk@irishnews.com
