Editorial: Support comes in many ways
Photo: Waterford Marine Search and Rescue
This week's edition of the Waterford News & Star contains two powerful stories.
The first is a special report by journalist Libby Marchant into the crucial work of Waterford Marine Search and Rescue.
Libby joined the crew and on-shore team, which is driven by a tremendous ethic of volunteerism and sense of responsibility towards our fellow Waterfordians. When people find themselves at their most vulnerable, the Marine Search and Rescue do their very best to be the guardians ready to step forward, a voice, a hand, of support.
The numbers speak for themselves. They have saved over 180 lives in Waterford since their foundation in 2010.
At their core is a very simple premise - they show up to take the night watch, to be present when someone truly needs them.
The men and women of Waterford Marine Search and Rescue - and surprisingly there are more women than men among their number - are from various walks of life and of many nationalities. They hold down jobs during the day but willingly give of their time, on a carefully managed rota, to either join the boat or walk along the quay side of the River Suir. At the end of the shift there is the simple sharing of food, a sweet treat and a warm cuppa.
Ultimately, the simple things that life is all about - camaraderie, kinship, community.
Another interview in this week's edition is about Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), a phenomenal organisation that has helped countless men and women who battle an addiction to alcohol.
The work of AA goes under the radar - with interviews directly with those who attend rare. As its name states, it is anonymous, borne out of the fact that the label 'alcoholic' continues to carry a stigma, which society still has a long way to go in breaking down.
The tide is slowly turning, however, thanks in part to the reach of social media - and access to the voices of more well-known personalities, such as actors and sportspeople, who are opening up conversations more and more.
Our interviewee spoke frankly of his struggle and how the open door to AA meetings helped him realise he was not alone, nor any different to so many others.
Again, volunteerism is at the heart of Alcoholics Anonymous. These meetings are run entirely by a network of volunteers - people who, one day, found themselves walking through that door, reaching out, allowing themselves that vulnerability.
Just as with the men and women of Waterford Marine Search and Rescue, they also have built community. In AA that community involves 30 meetings per week in Waterford alone. That's a lot of doors ready to be gently pushed open by those who need support.
Some of these meetings will be attended by only a small number of people. But that's all it takes. A person, a kettle flicked to on, a kind word.
A starting step.
Mental health organisations and initiatives - usually understaffed and underfunded, working in a challenging field - do their best to provide services and care. They form but the tip of the iceberg of what society really needs to be in place, to properly support people at their most vulnerable. The government has a long road to go in fully realising its responsibility in this regard, and acting accordingly.
The bedrock, however, will always be the strength of our people to be willing, ready and open to support the stranger who walks through the door in time of need.
