Cork Penny Dinners issues Christmas appeal

CORK Penny Dinners have already started planning to give out thousands of food and gift hampers to families across the city and county at Christmas.

The charity said they always start planning in October for Christmas and have already issued an appeal for donations to fill their gift bags.

Speaking to The Echo, Cork Penny Dinners coordinator, Catriona Twomey, said they are especially looking for underwear, vests, tights, socks, baby wipes, and women’s sanitary products.

“We are always inundated with toothpaste and toothbrushes, and things like that, but the things we really need are these in-demand items. We can’t get enough of these. Children’s jackets are another big one.”

Catriona said that members of the public start to ask about what donations are needed around now and said it was just easier to put out an appeal than to keep answering the phone.

Ms Twomey said they will give out thousands of Christmas gift bags, as well as over 2,000 food hampers, to families.

“We have already started taking orders for the Christmas food hampers; people have been asking us about them and they are on a list.”

They also provide Christmas gift bags to a number of other services, such as Edel House.

“We have drivers on board ready to hand out the hampers. It is always a long, hard, tiring graft, but it is lovely, as well, at the same time,” Ms Twomey said.