Olwyn Greene, who travels from her home in Co Cavan to her native Dublin on a weekly basis, said this time of year can often highlight struggles for others.
“It’s funny how, with all the joyousness and everything going on, it can be so difficult for others,” Ms Greene said.
“It nearly highlights it for other people and can make them feel more isolated or lonelier.
“Sometimes it’s so much easier to talk to a stranger, and when you say something out loud, it never seems as bad.
“The problem doesn’t go away, but we hope that, by saying their worries out loud, it won’t be as daunting for them,” she added.
Ms Greene has been volunteering with Dublin Samaritans for the past 15 years and works part-time in a retail store.
She was a driving force behind two awareness campaigns, both of which have been awarded a gold and silver at industry awards.
The Dublin Samaritans are now Ireland’s most nominated organisation in the advertising awards sector, achieving gold in the Media Idea or Innovative Category and silver in the Non-Profits Category at the Effie Awards.
One campaign was Finding Samaritans Amongst the Keenest of Listeners, crafted by the Dublin-based agency Droga5.
The podcast focuses on finding people who could listen to a lengthy episode and then tells them they would be an ideal recruit as a volunteer with the Dublin Samaritans.
Within a month of the podcast beginning, Dublin Samaritans saw a 102pc increase in enquiries for volunteers.
The mural on Montague Lane was part of the award-winning Mend The Cracks campaign. Pic: Conor Healy
The other campaign was a mural on Montague Lane – Kintsugi: Mend the Cracks – created by TBWA\Dublin to highlight the healing power of talking and listening.
The image on the side of a house off Camden Street, is a portrait of a man with a number of cracks on his face. These are filled with gold paint, using a Japanese art form called Kintsugi.
The mural aims to show how talking and being listened to helps the process of mending by drawing a comparison to the artistic practice of Kintsugi.
Ms Greene said the mural generated amazing awareness for the charity and helped get their number out there.
“One day, a volunteer came in grinning from ear to ear after the mural had been unveiled, saying a caller had said the mural meant something special, as the Samaritans had been ‘mending their cracks’ for years,” she said.
She also said the awards have meant that advertising companies, such as the ones they’ve previously worked alongside, will work with the charity again, which is crucial for raising awareness.
“It’s inspiring to see our volunteer-led organisation competing on a national stage. It’s an incredible achievement for a volunteer organisation,” Ms Greene said.
“To receive such recognition and win multiple prestigious awards is testament to the strength of our mission and the creativity we’ve been able to harness.”
Dublin Samaritans is the only 24-hour emotional support helpline in Ireland. People can contact Samaritans via email at jo@samaritans.ie or call free of charge on 116 123, even from a mobile with no credit. The number will not appear on a phone bill.
