AN appeal to support homeless people in Clare and other parts of the Mid West has had a “phenomenal” response according to organisers. Mid West Simon joined forces with Bus Éireann recently with a ‘Fill a Bus’ appeal, seeking contributions for the vulnerable, homeless and those at risk of homelessness in Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary this Christmas. More than 1,000 items were donated to fill bus parked up in Limerick last Thursday.
The ‘Fill a Bus Food Appeal’ has been a “fantastic success” according to Jackie Bonfield, CEO of Mid West Simon.
“The response from the people of Limerick has been phenomenal and the bus was filled to the brim with basic food staples, Christmas treats, toiletries and household goods. I would like to sincerely thank all those who contributed and especially to Bus Éireann staff for organizing this wonderful initiative and for helping out on the day. Please know that many adults and children have benefited from the donations and will enjoy Christmas this year”.
“We are overwhelmed with the response from the people of Limerick and their generosity”, said Bus Éireann Sales Executive Marie King, “the community were out in force all day, spreading the word to friends and neighbours who came from far and wide donating and managed to fill the Bus Éireann bus for Mid West Simon”.
Covid-19 has made this year an extremely difficult one for many of the families and individuals accessing the Mid West Simon services. They distributed 8,427 food hampers from April to June and have supported individuals and families living in emergency accommodation with almost 6,000 hot meals delivered in Clare and Limerick. The donations of non-perishable goods and household items yesterday will be used within these services over the Christmas period and the coming months.
“Bus Éireann connects people to who and what matters to them and we are delighted that this campaign has allowed us to connect with the community in Limerick who take 3.9 million journeys with Bus Éireann every year,” said Bus Éireann Sales Executive Marie King, “we are extremely proud of all our Bus Éireann colleagues, in particular Catherine King, who came out to give their time and support to this worthy cause. I’d also like to thanks Irish Rail for giving us the location in the station and Starbucks for supporting us with hot drinks all day.”