'New poor' thankful for Lions Club

The demand for food hampers from the Cavan Lions Club jumped by 25 per cent this Christmas and a total of 276 were delivered across the county by club volunteers. This growing demands on organisations like the Lions Club is a direct reflection of the difficult economic times being experienced in this country. However, on the positive side, the PRO of the Cavan Lions Club Mary O'Connor said the generosity of people more than matched the growing demand on their resources from what she described as the "new poor". "People really relied on the hampers this year. People in dire circumstances were most grateful and have been sending us texts and phone calls to express their thanks," according to Mary O'Connor. Mary said they got hundreds of donations, including €1,000 from Oxigen Environmental and €1,700 courtesy of District Court orders. The cash donations from the public also amounted to €2,300, as well as all the non-perishable food parcels donated. "In addition to all the non-perishables, we require money to purchase the meats, butter, dairy products and the vegetables," said Mary. The Lions Club hold their charity dinner every year in the Kilmore Hotel, but the funds raised last November were down on previous years due to fewer people attending, so the additional money mentioned above was most welcome. All the members also took to the streets to collect for the food appeal on a Thursday evening and this continued until Saturday evening. Mary said that in previous years they distributed around 220 hampers throughout the county. That jumped to 276 this year, to such diverse places as Swanlinbar, Bailieboro, Cootehill, Kilnaleck, Ballinagh, and Cavan town. Mary explained that the names of those in need of the hampers were passed on to the club in the usual discreet manner. 25th anniversary The current president of the Lions Club is Phillip Hayes and the head of services is John Quigley, with Cepta Bolger. This is the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Cavan Lions Club and three stalwarts who have been there from the start are Tony Finlay, Seamus McConnon and Ray Carr. The Lions Club wishes to thank all involved with the Scout Den in Cavan town, who gave the Den Hall free for storing all the food parcels. Members of the scouts also helped with the packing, as did members of the Belturbet Youth Club and all the deliveries were completed throughout the county by Lions Club volunteers in adverse weather conditions. A special mention must also go to Loreto College, which once again this year collected a full van-load of food parcels. There are currently 25 active members in the Lions Club and they are always looking for new people to join. They meet in the Farnham Arms Hotel on the second Tuesday of each month. Their fundraising event is the proms, which has been running for three years. It was a sell out last year and it takes place in 2010 on Thursday, May 27. The Cavan Singers give their time and talent to participate in this great occasion. Hospital visits Hospital visitation is also in existence since the foundation of the club. This began as a Sunday outing, then changed to mid-week, and often afternoons, which is a popular time for Alzheimer patients in the John Sullivan Home and with private nursing homes like Esker Lodge. The format usually consists of a sing-song and provision of refreshments. In latter years, because of various health and safety and other rules in hospitals, and with more elderly people in Lisdarn who need quiet and rest, the visits are more low-key events. The patients enjoy a friendly chat with the visiting club members, though the men's ward in the Lisdarn still likes the sing-song, and a dance if possible. The main contact is Cepta Bolger. This has been an annual outing since the foundation of the club and it's popular with guests from the town and surrounding parishes. This event takes place on a selected Monday in May and consists of a group of people [usually around 50] being collected and taken away for a day to a seaside resort, or similar area where they enjoy a four-course lunch, drinks and entertainment. It was originally named Trip For The Elderly but in last few years the club discovered that there were younger people who often never get a break like this because of various circumstances. This is a fun day out and is popular. The club encourages members to keep this in mind throughout the year, and to look out for people who they feel would benefit from it; then when the time arrives there is a list of names ready instead of trying to come up with them at the last minute. The main contact is Ray Carr. Every two weeks The Anglo-Celt is recorded by two club members for the benefit of around 40 sight impaired recipients, using a special recording machine. The idea is to select and read from the various news items filling in the hour-long tape. The tapes are then copied and distributed by Friday of that week. A rota system is used so the members know in advance when their turn in due. The main contact is John Quigley. Often patients are rushed into hospital unprepared, or they arrive but don't have the money to equip themselves with basic hospital and toiletry requirements. The Lions Club has provided boxes at every ward station with toiletries, towels and other necessities, and members replenish them when stocks get low (contact Gerard Tynan). The Message in a Bottle scheme ensures that important medical and personal information is available to the emergency services when they are called out to a home. Members of the scheme place a bottle in their fridge containing medical information, and a green cross is placed inside the front door and on the fridge to alert the emergency services to its presence (contact Helen Veale).