Community Call responded to over 850 requests for help
Louth County Council’s Community Call had addressed over 850 requests for assistance during the COVID-19 crisis, Director of Service Mr Paddy Donnolly told last week’s meeting of the Dundalk Joint Policing Committee via Zoom.
He outlined how at the height of the crisis they had set up a call centre with a freephone number, 1800 805817. They had up to 500 volunteers from 50 different volunteer groups across the county along with 25 individual volunteers, responding to calls for help. The lines were manned from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week, although since mid-June, the call centre now operates from 9am to 5pm due to falling demand.
They had mostly received requests for assistance in the delivery of shopping and collection of prescriptions to householders who were cocooning. They had also answered calls to transport people to non- COVID related medical appointments, and most of those calls were dealt with by the Red Cross. Over half, 54% of those who sought assistance, were living on their own.
The number of requests was falling as were the number of volunteers as people return to work, so they had reduced the hours that the call centre was operating.
Cllr Sean Kelly, chairperson of the JPC, thanked the Council staff and Community Call volunteers, saying it had ‘worked fantastically well’.
‘It was great to see the work being done on the ground.’
Mr Pat McVeigh of the PPN thanked the Council staff for their co-operation.