Oxfam Tralee looking for volunteers for re-opening

SIR,

At the start of April, along with many other businesses in Kerry, we made the difficult decision to close our shop in Tralee – to protect staff, volunteers and customers, and to play our part in Ireland’s response to COVID-19.

Our network of shops plays a vital role in supporting Oxfam’s work in some of the world’s poorest countries in the world, helping people to lift themselves out of poverty and thrive as well as saving lives when disaster strikes.

As I write this, myself and my team are now thankfully back doing what we do best, and our shop is now open after two months of closure. The loss of income during this period dealt a massive blow to the capacity of Oxfam and our work to beat poverty and fight inequality.

I’m writing to you as we are in desperate need of volunteers and would encourage people interested in lending sometime to pop in and let us know. Our shop is a hive of activity with lots of chats and opportunities to meet new people, learn new skills and, of course, have plenty of fun along the way.

Another way people can offer support is to get de-cluttering and drop their donations of clothes, accessories and brica-brac into us. It only takes a minute to bag up unwanted items and drop them to Oxfam, but it makes a lifetime of difference to people living in poverty around the world – especially with COVID-19 now reaching some of the most fragile places on earth, where Oxfam is on the ground responding.

We are really looking forward to welcoming customers back over the coming weeks and hope their support and generosity will continue into the future. Sincerely,

Eileen O’Hanlon, Oxfam Tralee,

6 Abbey Court, Tralee.