Unwanted presents are collected for the needy

THOUSANDS of unwanted Christmas presents are being re-gifted to the needy.

Yesterday, staff at St Mary’s Pro Cathedral in Dublin began accepting festive gifts to pass on to Crosscare for people using their homeless services next Christmas.

And hundreds of people living in its emergency accommodation yesterday received gifts donated to the Cathedral after Christmas 2016.

Pro Cathedral and Crosscare staff will spend all this week collecting any unwanted gifts.

They will then be boxed up and put in storage for the next 12 months before raising a smile next Christmas.

Meanwhile, a parish food appeal launched by Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin at the start of December saw thousands of items donated in just one weekend.

Crosscare manager Michael Mcdonagh said by the end of last week they had distributed 10,000 hampers to families in need of help.

Unwanted Christmas presents can be brought to the crib in the Cathedral from now until the end of the week. The opening times are: Wednesday, December 27, Thursday 28 and Friday 29. Mass 10.30am. Open at 9am and closing at 3pm; Saturday, December 30. Mass times 10.30am and 6pm. Open at 9am and closing after 6pm Mass.

Sunday, December 31, Mass times: 9.30am and 11am. No evening Mass. Open at 8.30am and closing after 11am Mass.