As of December 2020, 2,327 children were in emergency accommodation in Ireland. That's 755 families. This powerful ad serves as a stark reminder of homelessness in Ireland.

"The kids found it especially hard. My daughter cried every night saying she wanted to go home."

Having gone through almost a year of this pandemic and everything that comes with it, we are all starting to feel the effects in one way or another. Some may be feeling isolated and lonely, others may fear for their job security and many are struggling to cope with the daily news reports of this incredibly challenging global crisis. Let's be real, the past year has been tough. There's no shame in admitting that. But one thing many of us appreciate now more than ever is having a safe, warm home. While we may be missing the day-to-day life we had pre-pandemic, we appreciate having homes to stay in when we're told to do so. That's not the case for everyone... Homelessness is still a major issue in Ireland, and it's something we may have put to the back of our minds with everything going on at the moment. This ad from Focus Ireland serves as a stark reminder that even though it seems like the world has stopped turning, life still happens and challenges still arise. And yes, that includes people losing their homes, living in emergency accommodation and struggling to find a place for their kids to call home. The below video, simply titled 'Why?', starts off quite innocently, showing a curious young girl and her mother getting ready to head out for the day. On their walk, the girl seems as inquisitive as any other child, asking questions about everything she's seeing along the route. It's only when we get to the end, the child asks, "Mammy, when can we go back to our own house?", reminding us that homelessness can affect any 'ordinary-looking' family. Take a few minutes to watch the powerful ad below. While we adjust to (and often struggle with) this level of isolation we're not used to, it's important to recognise that many Irish families have much more challenging obstacles to overcome, such as finding somewhere for their kids to call home. If you want to find out more about homelessness in Ireland and what Focus Ireland is doing to help, head to Focusireland.ie. If you want to help end homelessness in Ireland by donating money, head here.