Lorraine is “proud to work with migrant women who call Ireland their home.”
She founded Muslim Sisters of Éire, a voluntary independent organisation of mainly Muslim women living in Ireland, providing a range of support services for the homeless, women and youth and promoting empowerment, social inclusion and diversity.
Lorraine founded Muslim Sisters of Éire in 2010 and thinks the organisation’s work is more important now than ever. After converting to Islam, she wanted to channel the strength and power of Muslim women, and to help them find their own voices. Many of these women, both from Ireland and migrants to Ireland, were on the fringes but Lorraine felt they were so full of potential and had a lot to teach society. Muslim Sister of Éire aren’t affiliated with any Mosques, which was important to Lorraine so that the volunteers are living testimonies to their faith and culture. Many of the volunteers are not Muslim at all and simply share their commitment to social justice.
Lorraine gathered women who were proud of their culture, faith, and of their Irish community and the organisation began a now well-known soup run meal service hosted outside the GPO on O’Connell Street every Friday. They feed more than 400 people weekly. Lorraine also has connections to homeless support organisations and food banks to support service users when MSOÉ isn’t serving.
Advocating for diversity and mutual respect is huge for MSOÉ. They have an “open door policy” for volunteers of any culture. Lorraine wants to “build bridges of understanding between cultures and religions” in the hopes of combatting the rise of xenophobia and hatred. This openness extends from how the organisation operates. “My idea and your idea are equal here, even if you only volunteer once a month” Lorraine said.
This National Volunteering Week, we’re celebrating the diversity of volunteers who make Ireland what it is. No matter your age, race, abilities, or status, we honor your place in the community and the volunteering that you, uniquely, do.
Thank you to Lorraine for sharing her story. Please email [email protected] if you’d like to share yours!
