Huge community effort swings into action

A HUGE community effort has swung into action this week to help elderly or vulnerable people at increased risk during the coronavirus crisis.

As the whole area went into lockdown and people are urged to ‘stay home to stay safe,’ more than 15,000 leaflets have now been distributed to households with key contact information and numbers for scores of volunteers who are ready to help.

Local shops, pharmacists, sporting and community organisations have set up delivery services pon conjunction with the St Vincent De Paul Society.

Special phone numbers have been set-up to provide a contact point for anyone who needs something collected or just for a chat.

Kathleen from Strathroy told the UH that the efforts being made had left her “very, very reassured.”

“It is great to know that someone is there at the end of a phone. The fact that people are willing to help is really appreciated by me and I’m sure by the many hundreds of others also being assisted at this time feel the same,” she said.

“The shop here in Strathroy bring me over my morning paper and people are on hand to help with groceries. I only have to ring and somebody is there to get me whatever I need.

“My brother died last week and we got permission from the hospital briefly to see him. People are so caring at a time of difficulty like this and please God we will get through the next period without contracting the virus.”

In the past few days, hundreds of items of food have been donated to help those most in need.

It follows a series of meetings in Omagh and surrounding areas at the weekend to co-ordinate a community approach to assisting those who need help.

“Fr Declan McGeehan in Cappagh deserves the greatest of credit for organising and spearheading this campaign and on conjunction with Fr Eugene Hasson it has now spread throughout the area.

“People like Barry McElduff and Martin Woodhead have also worked diligently on this,” said Omagh GAA chairman, Conor Sally.

“The full buy-in from so many different organisations and groups makes this very special indeed and our hope now is that the situation we are facing does not reach the levels that are anticipated.”