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Charities say they have been overwhelmed by the public’s demand for hot meals and food packages.
It has been a busy Christmas day for volunteers from across the country.
Dinner charities have asked the government to go the extra mile with the homeless and needy in 2021.
In Dublin, the annual Christmas Day dinner for the homeless and the needy was moved from the RDS to the Mansion House due to Covid-19.
Knights of Saint Columban volunteers were commended for making sure the event continued, as volunteers distributed thousands of meals throughout the capital.
Meanwhile, volunteers from Cork’s oldest charity got up very early this morning to deliver food to people across the county after Covid-19 forced them to cancel their annual Christmas dinner.
Cork Penny Dinners delivered more than 200 dinners, as well as gifts and seasonal food for children and adults across the county.
At the charity center on Little Hanover Street, volunteer chefs prepared holiday dinners, while outdoor tables were filled with food donated by local businesses to be delivered to those who call in person to order food during the day.
Caitríona Twomey, coordinator of the charity, said that this year had been one of the toughest so far, but that nothing was going to stop the volunteers from bringing a bit of joy and hope to this day of every day.
“This has been a desperate year.
“We are doing everything we can to make it as Christmas as possible to eliminate loneliness, but it is more difficult this year because people cannot get in,” he said.
“Today we are having a kind of miracle on Little Hanover Street because we are open”
Volunteers worked through the night preparing and delivering Christmas food packages to families and individuals in Cork.
Starting at 5.30 in the morning, around 20 volunteers prepared more than 200 dinners to distribute and bring anyone who called in person to the center.
Santa gave them a hand and was busy keeping his spirits up as he continued the work.
Ms. Twomey said the enthusiasm and hard work of the volunteers and the generosity of the people have ensured “a miracle on Little Hanover Street.”
She said: “It’s not just about people and it’s not just about families, it’s about getting over and over this together, and the importance of what Christmas means to everyone.
“Today we are having a kind of miracle on Little Hanover Street because we are open, we have fabulous food, as you can see from the River Lee Hotel, and we are here.
“The chefs have done a great job preparing things for everyone, so I guess that’s our miracle for Cork.”
The true spirit of Christmas: volunteers in @PennyDinnersCor Say ‘thank you’ as they prepare and deliver over 200 dinners today. @rtenews #Cork pic.twitter.com/XB0qEd1E44
– JennïeØSullivân (@OSullivanJennie) December 25, 2020
Additional reporting Jennie O’Sullivan
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