One of the pre-eminent agencies dealing with homelessness in Ireland, the Simon Community plays an…read moreimportant role in in Ireland. It's one of those NGOs that is well-known throught the country - highly visible and a common recipient of school-led fundraisers. They run things like soup runs, emergency housing, needle exchange programmes (and no matter how anti-drugs you may be, these are important), alcohol detox residences and prevention/early intervention. They are (unfortunately) doing a bustling business at the moment, if the constant queues for the offices outside my house are anything to go by too...though it feels wrong somehow to be popping up to the flat while other people are desperately looking for a roof over their heads...

Simon Community is not only a great charity organization, with volunteers working night and day to…read morehelp the homeless with both food and shelter, they throw awesome fundraising parties to raise much-needed money for the fight against homelessness. I had a blast competing in various different sports at their games-day in Herbert Park, and got my money's worth at a bingo night with DJs and dancing at No. 4 Dame Lane. Keep your ears to the ground for next event. Entertaining, and for a good cause!

Focus Ireland is the kind of organization that I think more cities need. With centers around the…read morecountry, Focus Ireland provides services for those in various stages of homelessness - whether already homeless or on the verge of becoming so, transitioning to a work or training program and finally to finding permanent housing. Focus Ireland is the kind of organization that I think more cities need. With centers around the country, Focus Ireland provides services for those in various stages of homelessness - whether already homeless or on the verge of becoming so, transitioning to a work or training program and finally to finding permanent housing. Focus Ireland helps those in need find housing and in some cases can provide it for them. The center is also a coffee shop where anyone can come enjoy inexpensive meals and take advantage of the many programs that Focus Ireland offers. The organization also has volunteer opportunities.

My Name is Rodolfo Angulo we have a company CI Nvl Caribe trading corporation we are located in…read morePanama Central America and we are interest in sending free food ( pasta) to your ONG in ireland we would pay all the expenses sending a container per month my mail is angulorodolfo@yahoo.com my cel is +507 66124401

I have given this charity a lot of volunteer time in several countries but last year was my first…read moretime to start with these people. I enjoy volunteering but primarily if it involves work that I can see an immediate result with and I get that with this excellent organisation. Basically they build or refurbish buildings for people or organisations that can't afford to. The project that I worked on was helping paint the interior of an old Georgian hospital located just off Ballsbridge. It was an excellent opportunity to see what the interior of the building was like as they are scattered all around the city. It also was an excellent chance to make new friendships. They gave us free sandwiches and soup for our days work. I did it once a week for a few weeks but they are flexible with your schedule. Lovely people to work with, I would highly recommend getting in touch if you like to do some construction work!

Barnardos, established in 1962, is a child-focused NGO that brings hope to the most vulnerable…read morechildren and youth in Ireland and carries out extensive programs so every child in the country can have the same chance of a happy and healthy childhood. Their services help children, youth and their families who have diverse backgrounds but all need support to build the foundation for a bright future. Today they operate 40 centres around Ireland where they provide number of different services. They also run charity shops (4 in Dublin and one in Carlow, Wexford and Cork) to help raise money for disadvantaged children in Ireland. They are one of the many Irish charities that have experienced a great shorfall in donor funding due to the economic collapse, so if you have extra time on your hands or a little money to spare log onto their website and check how you can make a difference.

My Name is Rodolfo Angulo we have a company CI Nvl Caribe trading corporation we are located in…read morePanama Central America and we are interest in sending free food ( pasta) to your ONG in ireland we would pay all the expenses sending a container per month my mail is angulorodolfo@yahoo.com my cel is +507 66124401

Now the best thing that I can tell you about Oxfam shops and not just this one in Dun Laoghaire is…read morethat if you take your old or unwanted Marks and Spencer clothes here you get given a voucher for M & S for the value of €7 - per item. AND you can be sneaky and take an item in there each time and get one voucher - got to be good.

I like how Oxfam have specialised a number of there outlets, like the bookstore on Parliament…read moreStreet and the ethnic shop on King Street, this Oxfam in Dun Laoghaire hasn't been specialised in anyway and I think that given the abundance of charity shops in the area it could do with having a specific purpose. This Oxfam has a reasonable selection of second-hand clothes and other sundry items at absolute bargain prices. The selection isn't quite as good as some of the other charity shops in Dun Laoghaire though and I would check Barnardo's in particular before taking the plunge.

I remember running a bake sale with my sisters when I was about six years old (explaining much of…read moremy psychological aversion to over-masculine activities now that I think of it.) and donating the proceeds to Goal. About a week later we received a letter of thanks in the post and a Goal baseball cap each. Man, did I love that baseball cap. I wore it everywhere, until my mother feared it was harvesting lice and threw it out. Since that time I've always been drawn to Goal. They do great work in developing countries and really deserve praise and funding. Throw a few quid in the box in your local shop. Very much worth your change.

If you've lived in Ireland for any amount of time, or ever read a copy of the Irish Times, then…read moreyou'll have heard of John O'Shea. One of the most outspoken NGO types around, his charity tapped into one of the most brilliant ideas for an NGO - make it the sportspeople's choice. Very family-oriented still (the daughters are deeply involved and that), it's one of those 'local charities gone global'. Campaigning to alleviate poverty in the poorest of the poor, their outspokenness and visibility via the involvement of prominent sportspeople means that they are one of the best-known in this NGO sector. Calling their volunteers GOALies, organising runs and other sporty fundraisers, they know their niche, and work tirelessly on their issues.