In October of 2014, Emily Duffy a 3rd year student in Desmond College had her project “The Homeless Wrap” accepted for the 51st BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition.
In the last year Emily has featured on numerous TV and Radio programs with her project that offers a better quality of life to those who find themselves homeless. The project won student enterprise awards and Emily attended the BT Business Boot Camp in UCD last year, the project also featured on the Late Late Show.
12 months on, the “Homeless Wrap” has become the “Duffily Bag” and is currently being produced by the Mendicity Institution in Dublin. Mendicity train some of their service users to make the sleeping bags themselves.
They have had very positive feedback from Merchant’s Quay, a large homeless service institution in Dublin 8, who are using some of the “Duffily Bags” during the night café.
The Mendicity Institution is one of Dublin’s oldest charities, established in 1818. During its life-span, it has always worked towards the relief of poverty in the city. As the social organisation of poverty altered, the Institution has had to adapt to meet the current needs of a changing clientele, it continues as a food centre providing free meals on a daily basis, including Sunday brunch.