Courtney McGrailStaff Reporter
The annual collection of unwanted gifts at Dublin’s St Mary’s Pro Cathedral got underway on St Stephen’s Day and runs until January 6.
An initiative of Crosscare, the archdiocese’s social care agency, the collection invites anyone who is willing to ‘re-gift’ a Christmas present to drop parcels at St Mary’s crib. The gifts will then be redistributed among those in most need in Dublin, with a number of items held back to become presents at Christmas 2017.
From an initially small project run by clergy and volunteers at the Pro Cathedral, the gifts collection has grown into a massive annual programme as parishioners and visitors continue to respond to the seasonal call.
According to Canon Damien O’Reilly of St Mary’s the steady supply of gifts now adds to the generosity already shown by visitors for a range of Christmas fundraisers which have directly benefitted not just Crosscare, but also the Peter McVerry trust and the Capuchin Day Centre.
Surge
The collections come at a time when, like so many other charities, Crosscare has experienced a surge in requests for its services. The charity revealed that 40 staff have been working around the clock across the festive season to provide emergency accommodation for the many thousands at risk of sleeping rough amid the capital’s continuing housing crisis.
www.crosscare.ie