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New charity to help preserve dignity

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HELPING OTHERS: Etain Usher (Tralee Food Aid) with Martina O'Riordan from Killarney who has set up Dignity Packs Kerry to help those in need. Photo: Michelle Crean

 

By Michelle Crean

A brand new charitable service has been set up by a Killarney woman to help those in financial dire straits retain their dignity.

Dignity Packs Kerry, which aims to supply free toiletries to people in need,was founded by Martina O'Riordan three weeks ago to give hygiene supplies to those who can’t afford life’s basics.

Now she’s hoping it will become a countywide initiative and she’s looking for others to come on board to help.

Martina became involved through Etain Usher from Tralee Food Aid, who runs a service that donates food to families and individuals. Etain suggested setting up the service and as Martina wanted to help others she jumped at the chance.

She’s asking locals to donate items such as shampoos, conditioners, deodorants, shower gels, razors and shaving foam, face cloths, soap, sanitary towels and Tampons, toothbrushes and toothpaste, wet wipes and nappy sacks, which can be dropped into special collection bins at the various collection points in town.

She explained that the items donated will be placed in plain brown paper bags and dropped into emergency accommodation centres, Meals on Wheels and schools.

“Etain asked if I’d like to branch into this and I set up a Facebook page three weeks ago,” Martina told the Killarney Advertiser this week.

“It was friends and family helping at first but it’s growing.”

Tesco Ireland, who also support Tralee Food Aid, have come on board and Martina plans to put collection bins in the New Street store in the coming days. She’s also hoping businesses could sponsor buying plain paper bags, collection bins for other locations, or allow bins to be placed in their stores. Volunteers are also welcome to help, she added.

“It’s not just for people in emergency accommodation,” Martina said.

“It’s the ones with high mortgages that don’t have the extra funds for the basics. We don’t want to know who is getting them. We’ll get them out there to the people who need them through the centres.”

She added that if she met Taoiseach Leo Varadkar that she’d ask him to meet people who are still living in poverty.
“I’d like him to meet these people and realise that there’s a whole country here that needs help. He needs to see what others are going through outside of Dublin. If we don’t do it who will? They’re not going to do it.”

To donate or to enquire about sponsoring a collection bin, signage or bags, contact Martina O'Riordan on 085 1167173, via email: dignitypackskerry@gmail.com or on Facebook: Dignity Packs Kerry.

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Chamber pays tribute to late Dick Henggeler

Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has expressed condolences following the death of Dick Henggeler, the well-known owner of The Rose Hotel in Tralee. Mr Henggeler passed away peacefully at […]

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Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has expressed condolences following the death of Dick Henggeler, the well-known owner of The Rose Hotel in Tralee.

Mr Henggeler passed away peacefully at his home in Baltimore, USA surrounded by his Aghadoe-born wife Eibhlin (née Moriarty), their son Franz, and other family members.
Dick and Eibhlin purchased The Rose Hotel in 2015 in tribute to their late daughter Dorothy, who represented Washington DC in the 2011 Rose of Tralee Festival.
The Chamber said Mr Henggeler would be remembered for his warmth, good nature and positive approach, as well as for being a forward-thinking and knowledgeable businessman.
“He knew how to run a good hotel and that was and still is very obvious at The Rose Hotel, which is a great success story,” the Chamber said.
It added that continuity of ownership will remain in place, with Eibhlin, Franz, daughter-in-law Amber, and grandchildren Conrad and Rowan continuing to honour Dick’s legacy and vision for the hotel.
“Dick took enormous personal pride in Tralee and all of Kerry and he was always available to generously support any community initiative or endeavour undertaken in Killarney,” the Chamber said.
“He will be greatly missed by all that knew him but he leaves a wonderful legacy.”

He will repose at O’Shea’s Funeral Home, Killarney, on Friday (October 17), from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. The funeral will arrive at St Mary’s Cathedral on Saturday morning at 10:00am for Requiem Mass at 10:30am, with burial afterwards in Aghadoe Cemetery. The Requiem Mass will be live streamed at https://www.churchservices.tv/killarneycathedral.

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Beaufort Film Night returns with French drama-comedy

Beaufort Film Night will return on Friday (October 17) at Cullina National School, with a screening of the French drama-comedy The Marching Band. The film tells the story of Thibaut, […]

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Beaufort Film Night will return on Friday (October 17) at Cullina National School, with a screening of the French drama-comedy The Marching Band.

The film tells the story of Thibaut, a successful conductor recently diagnosed with leukaemia. A search for a bone marrow donor reveals that he was adopted and has a brother, Jimmy, a cafeteria worker.
The two meet, discover a shared love of music, and form a strong bond through an unexpected collaboration with Jimmy’s workplace band.
The Marching Band (French title En Fanfare) will screen at 8.30pm. Admission is €7, cash only, and will cover the motion picture licence fee.
The film has a 12A rating and is in French with English subtitles.
Beaufort Film Night is a non-profit community group that screens cultural English and international films that usually do not receive general release in Kerry.
The event is supported by Kerry County Council Arts Office and Access Cinema. Cullina National School is providing the venue.
Further details are available on Beaufort Film Night’s Facebook page @BeaufortFilmNight.

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