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Bus Eireann Fill a Bus in aid of Mid-West Simon Community Christmas Appeal

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Bus Eireann Fill a Bus campaign – Pictured above at the Midwest Simon food drive are Jackie Bonfield, CEO of Midwest Simon Community, Elisha Fahy, Head of Operations at Midwest Simon, Jenny Walsh, food bank coordinator for Midwest Simon, Catherine Barry, a Bus Eireann representative, Marie King, Bus Eireann  sales representative and Ger Riordan, Bus Eireann bus driver. Picture: Diarmuid Greene
 

Bus Eireann Fill a Bus in aid of Mid-West Simon Community Christmas Appeal

By I Love Limerick correspondent Mary Caroline McCarthy

Bus Eireann Fill a Bus

Midwest Simon Community and Bus Éireann teamed up for their ‘Fill a Bus’ initiative for Midwest Simon’s annual Christmas appeal

December is the month of giving, and this December more people than normal are in the giving spirit after the hard year we have all experienced. In the spirit of giving the Midwest Simon Community and Bus Éireann teamed up for their ‘Fill a Bus’ initiative for Midwest Simon’s annual Christmas appeal which took place on December 3.


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Bus Éireann, Ireland’s national bus company, is joining Midwest Simon Community this year in their annual appeal for contributions for the vulnerable, homeless, and those at risk of homelessness in Limerick, Clare, and North Tipperary.

On Thursday, December 3, Bus Éireann reserved a bus from 11 am to 6 pm in Colbert Station, Parnell Street with hopes of filling it from top to bottom with donations from the public. Many of the staff of Bus Éireann in Colbert Station were some of the first of many to offer bags of donations to help the annual Christmas appeal.

Marie King, Sales Executive for Bus Éireann said, “Bus Éireann is very proud to support Midwest Simon with our Bus Eireann Fill a Bus Christmas campaign. Covid-19 has made 2020 a challenging year for the vulnerable in our society, Midwest Simon has had a 50% increase in people accessing their service since the pandemic began. Bus Éireann would like to encourage our passengers in Limerick who take 3.9 million journeys with us every year to support and donate what they can for those in need this Christmas.”

Midwest Simon Community has been established since October 2006. The service covers the counties of Clare, Limerick, and North Tipperary. They aim to support people through their journey out of homelessness by providing appropriate accommodation and care services, tailored to their individual needs.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Midwest Simon opened their foodbank in 2014 and has seen the demand for food growing since the beginning of Covid-19 in March with around 9,000 people from across Limerick, Clare, and North Tipperary availing of the facility so far this year. The Christmas appeal appeals to anyone in Limerick this year that can donate to donate any spare non-perishables or little Christmas treats so that everyone can enjoy Christmas this year after the dreadful year we have all experienced.

Jackie Bonfield, CEO of Midwest Simon Community said, “We are so thankful to Bus Eireann for this amazing initiative and for the support we have received from them over the past number of years. This year has been challenging for so many families, and individuals, the numbers accessing our Foodbank service is increasing constantly with over 8000 this year needing our support.  We would ask as many people as possible to give what they can, by filling the bus we as a community show the most vulnerable that we stand together and wish everyone a Happy Christmas.”

The final foodbank before Christmas this year will take place on Friday, December 18 at the Midwest Simon foodbank on Speakers Corner, Careys Road.

 

For more about The Midwest Simon Community, go HERE

For more stories on The Midwest Simon Community, go HERE

 

https://youtu.be/F2f0aXuaelY 

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