At Easter we delivered Easter eggs and treats to over 160 people cocooning, giving us the opportunity to see if we could be of any help to them in other areas without being intrusive. Practical jobs undertaken range from chicken wire being erected under eaves to stop swallows nesting, and gutters were cleaned, outside lights fixed, and steps painted to make them safer as one man’s house became a home thanks to the attention of our volunteers. We have delivered shower heads and cooking equipment to frontline workers, replaced 'Iggle Wiggle' for a child for whom this toy was particularly important, sourced a tablet for a gentleman to play (ironically) solitaire after his laptop gave up, and delivered a game of scrabble to a gentleman who wished to play remotely with his overseas daughter. One lucky gentlemen received a bottle of rather good wine which we purchased and delivered from his Swedish family, and a lover of world war two books had his library replenished thanks to a generously answered appeal for books, as did a lady who received the entire collection of Alice Taylor books. DVD players and DVDs, hand sanitising bottles and baking ware were donated and delivered to a residential unit for young adults with intellectual disabilities, plants and seeds collected for a lady who just had to get out into the garden and many happy readers contributed to and continue to carefully use our book exchange in Centra Blarney village.
A lady in isolation was delighted that her much loved dogs got out for a walk every day, and our offering of litter pickers to families who wished to get out and help Tidy Towns received a lovely response from a few local families. Our isolation art completion, in conjunction with the Muskerry News is receiving great entires from young people up to 18 years of age as they tell us with a poem, story, painting or drawing how their life has changed during this crisis, and we encouraged local houses to light up at night to encourage walkers passing, and our cocooners to fly a flag and stay home and stay safe. Through the Muskerry news we put up regular encouraging notes and suggestions of help, all of which reach on average of more than 6,ooo local people and always received a request for help. So as another busy week in Blarney comes to a close we have seen nearly 300 hot meals delivered, we have collected medication, shopping and pensions, posted letters, and taken away those all important phones to get them fixed and returned to their relieved owners, and hopefully spread the message that we really are all in this together. Two members of our group have been working from behind the front door, Pat who is cocooning and Kate who contracted the virus and has been working from her computer and can’t wait to get out delivering again next week!
How we’re reaching out … Local phone lines, Whatsapp/facebook groups, Newsletters/print, Websites/Blogs, Noticeboards, Door to door
Mahon It was a busy week for … Mahon Community Development Project hand delivered interactive creativity packs to 150 older people who are engaged with their service and 30 packs to children who use their Creche. These packs were made up by the staff of the CDP with particular attention being paid to the interests of their service users. Included in the interactive packs for older people were homemade cookies, homemade playdough and the recipes to recreate these yourself, as well as bubbles, exercise guides, wildflower seeds and poetry written by local people.
LOCAL CALL TYPE
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Prescriptions & Medical needs
13
Jobs in House
4
Grocery Deliveries
20
Phone Support
60
Last week though the CDP linking with the Community Response Forum we were able to provide these vital interventions for two local people ; a fridge for an older man in Mahon who is cocooning with serious health problems and a washing machine another man who had been washing his clothes in the bath. Mahon Community Centre continue to support people locally in particular through providing small repairs for local residents as well as jump starting cars and fixing punctures. Mahon Community Association are providing fresh bread and veg to the residents of Arus Mhuire a 30 unit sheltered housing complex on the Skehard road. The Rainbow Club are delivering food hampers to families in Mahon and further afield who have linked with them for support. Local volunteers
11
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