Could You Please Help Santa?

Dear parishioners,

As you will be aware, we have given the food items kindly donated by yourselves and the families in the school, at Harvest Thanksgiving, to the Capuchin Day Centre and the Alice Leahy Trust for the past number of years. This year, you were amazing!   We took so much non-perishable food items into those two charities – it was fantastic!  We had pot noodles, pot curries and pot porridge, galore, as well as lots of other food items!   And both the Capuchin Day Centre and The Alice Leahy Trust were very grateful.

The Capuchin Day Centre provides Baby Supplies for Collection on a Monday morning, and Grocery Parcels for Collection on a Wednesday morning, as well as hundreds of take away meals every day.  All of these items are needed and if you were able to help, that would be great.

Santa presents for children who are homeless

However, one of the things that does not end up as a priority for those who are homeless is something for children when they wake up on Christmas morning.  How do you explain to a child why Santa didn’t come to them?  Life can be very cruel and we could make a difference to some children this Christmas.  This is why I am asking you if we could help Santa.   Due to COVID-19, the Capuchin Day Centre can only accept new toys, so I am asking if you could buy one or two small toys – they cannot be big toys as those families living in hotels or hostels, or in cars, do not have the room for anything big – and could you bring them to either of our churches on the following Sundays… if you are not able to attend the service, please aim to arrive at the end of the service to drop off the items:  

Sunday 5th December 2021 to St Thomas’ Church which has a service at 8.30 (finishes at 9.00), or to St Philip and St James’ Church which has a service at 10.30 (finishes at 11.15).  

Sunday 12th December 2021 to St Thomas’ Church which has a service at 8.30 (finishes at 9.00), or to St Philip and St James’ Church which has a service at 10.30, (finishes at 11.15), and a Sausage(less!) Service at 18.30 hours (finishes at 19.00).

I will also be in St Philip and St James’ on Sunday 12th December 2021 to receive your items 17.00-18.00, before the Sausage(less!) Service, and on Tuesday 14th December 2021, 19.00-20.00.

I have to deliver the items into the Capuchin Day Centre on Wednesday 15th December 2021, so we have to have them before that day.

Santa needs long-johns, socks etc too!

Thank you too to those who have donated brand new pairs of long-johns (underwear) which have been hugely appreciated by The Alice Leahy Trust for their service users.  As you can imagine, it is bitterly cold living on the streets at this time of the year.  People have been very generous with donating long-johns and ski underwear, and we would be delighted to pass on more new long-johns, new warm socks, new gloves and new hats.  Warm jackets in good condition would also be great.

Lions Club Food Appeal

In addition to the above, the Dublin Lions Club is doing an appeal through Booterstown National School.  The details are:

For one week in December (6th – 10th  December 2021), the Lions Club is asking people to donate 1 item of non-perishable food for the homeless.

 

The specific items requested are: 

  • Christmas Cakes
  • Christmas Pudding
  • Soft Drinks
  • Selection Boxes
  • Celebration boxes
  • Mince Pies
  • Christmas Crackers
  • Decorations
  • Table Settings 

There will be a collection box for the above items in Booterstown National School  from Monday 6th – Friday 10th December 2021.

We can give a little love this Christmas, and that is exactly what Christmas is… God coming to earth in human form because he loves us, and to show us through Jesus Christ how to love and to care.

Stay well and stay safe.

Gillian

The Rev’d Canon Gillian V. Wharton
Rector of Booterstown and Carysfort with Mount Merrion, Diocese of Dublin, Ireland.

Clerical Honorary Secretary of the General Synod of the Church of Ireland.