2018 - Volunteer and Christmas Appeal secretary Teresa Delaney (left) with Limerick hurlers Peter Casey, David Dempsey and Shane Dowling and Fr Seamus Enright (right).
Photo: Oisín McHugh/ True Media Fr Seamus Enright of the Limerick Redemptorists praised the “great generosity” of the Irish public as their 2020 Sitout, rather than the usual SleepOut, elicited an outpouring of support.
Positive reaction
“The people were generous, there was a positive reaction. It was hard work, but good,” Fr Enright told The Irish Catholic.
Fr Enright said that the SleepOut was replaced by a SitOut this year due to the safety concerns raised by the pandemic.
The aim of the initiative was to raise money to put food on every table, with the Redemptorists and a team of volunteers using the funds to put together Christmas Hampers for delivery around Limerick and north Cork.
Launching the SitOut, Fr Enright said, “The Redemptorists are working with the Limerick Food Partnership and partner organisations across the city and county to get hampers into approximately 6,000 homes in the lead up to Christmas. This is one of the biggest food initiatives in Limerick each year.”
Fr Enright was pleased to report that the response was as generous, if not more so, as it has been since the Christmas Hamper Appeal began in 1972.
This year
“Two things: the needs were greater this year, and the people seemed to be more generous than ever before,” Fr Enright said.
The money raised goes largely towards food poverty initiatives, with the Redemptorists working alongside 34 different organisations to provide relief and care for those in the most need.