Galway Advertiser 1980/1980_11_27/GA_27111980_E1_016.pdf 

Extracted text

St. Vincent de Paul Society, probably the most popular society in the city, began in Galway over 130 years ago and has consistently brought good cheer, help andfriendship to countless thousands in those years. The society are now embarking on their annual appeal, which is usually met with a generous response from Galwegians. Our reporter learnt about, the Society as she accompanied some members on their rounds one evenig last week.

it

T h e y N e v e r L e t Y o u D o w n 5J
offer them a helping hand. Christmas parties for the elderly have always gone down a treat and succeed in giving old people a taste of the jolly season of the holly and the berries. The Society is also active in organising holidays for our senior citizens. One such holiday home specially organised for the purpose is located in Knock in Co. Mayo and caters for 25 adults at a time. The St. Vincent De Paul even goes to the extent of providing them with pocket money if the needs be. All that any senior citizen need to do is contact the Society and they will arrange the rest. CLUBS FOR HANDICAPPED Another aspect of the S o c i e t y ' s w o r k is t h e organisation of social clubs for the mildly mentally handicapped. The clubs are geared to facilitate the young mildly handicapped person who has ventured alone in to the world of employment. He/She has just left an institution and m a y be a u t o m a t i c a l l y catapulted into the j o b situation where everyone else seems to be part of a social whirl. It is only natural that he/she should feel lost and at wit's end as the strain of budgeting on an overnight pay packet coupled with misdirected attempts to buy friendship quench whatever initial light there may have been at the end of the dark tunnel. Galway's St. Vincent De Paul branch understood the traumas experienced in the t r a n s i t i o n from the protected institution to the open job market and formed a club where mildly mentally handicapped adults could meet and mix with other young people and subsequ ently form friendships. The club which is based in Ozanam House has many members from the city's schools and third level colleges who come along and play games and socialise

Like a steel bladed knife the bitter cold frost sliced into the night air. Footsteps echoed on the cold, hard pavement as men from the Claddagh quickened their pace and dug their shivering hands into the pockets of their well lined winter overcoats. It was a cold frosty Monday in early November. Working men were hurring to the pub, busy housewives were tucking drowsy schoolchildren into warm beds and all the while wondering if Sue Ellen had really shot JR Ewing. In a hushed terraced Weekly meetings were held house in the Claddagh a frail and a secret bag collection old woman poked a coal fire was taken up. and glanced at the clock hanging over the mantlepi- HALLMARK OF SOCIETY Today, the St. Vincent De ece. They should be here by now she mused. After all, it Paul Society operates in the was 9.15 p.m. and they were same discreet way. The present headquarters is in seldom late. For her and many other O z a n a m House in St. old and lonely people in the Augustine Street where all city, the single knock at the Catholic activities have been door means the weekly visit centralised to great effect. of the local St. Vincent de Thus the small Confere Paul. The two concerned nce formed in Galway weekly visitors who ask if nearly 132 years ago to she has enough coal for the combat typhus, famine and long winter nights, if there is other miseries, has grown food in the larder and if her and multiplied today. arthritis is still playing up. The face of h u m a n The regular visitors who let suffering has changed little her wander down the dusty in the century since the St. avenues of the past without Vincent De Paul Society was i n t e r r u p t i o n , a n d w h o first founded in Galway. understand the unspoken G o n e a r e t h e days needs of the isolated old who admittedly of r a m p a n t too have their stories to tell. disease and famine but the The Society of St. Vincent scars of poverty are still De Paul was founded in etched indelably onto the Paris in the year 1833 by countenance of those who Frederich Ozanam who with often through no fault of six companies resolved to their own are forced to eek bear witness to Christ by out meagre livings on a following his example and shoestring. "going to the poor". The For many years, concern first conference in Ireland for the poor, sick and elderly was established in Dublin has been the hallmark of the around 1845 despite the fact St. Vincent De Paul Society. that there are no records to But in recent times their establish when the Society good works have expanded was founded in Galway, the to encompass organising older members believe that C h r i s t m a s p a r t i e s a n d it was somewhere around holidays for the elderly and 1848. infirm, social clubs for the By 1859 the Society was mildly mentally handicap one of the active associati ped, a "curiosity" shop ons in the city, bringing where the needy can obtain relief and understanding clothes without foresaking into lives which needed their dignity and a myriad assistance the most. Relief other christian actions of was mostly in kind, many of goodwill. the orders being for The Society recognises the quantities of flour, loaves of plight of the old and infirm bread, or food in some form. who oftentimes must face Assistance was also given in the hazards of winter alone, the thatching of houses. and are only too ready to

with the mildly handicap ped. The club has been formed over two and a half years now and has been going from strength to strength. The Brothers of Charity recognised the value of the social club and now bring along young mildly mentally handicapped people to the club to experience a foretaste of life "outside" an institution before the youths actually take up employ ment. CLOTHING BANK The Society of St. Vincent De P a u l h a v e a l w a y s organised a "curiosity" shop where the needy could come along and on the production of a docket could obtain clothing from the shop's large wardrobe. However, the stigma of handing out one's dignity on a piece of paper inhibited many deserving cases from making full use of the service. So the Society e l i m i n a t e d the d o c k e t system and instead allows people to come in and choose what they want from the racks. People have been given back their dignity and there is no such thing as pointing a finger in anyone's direction as the "curiosity" shop as it is aptly titled, attracts anyone and everyone. The primary objective of any exercise undertaken by the Society is to get people to expose themselves to a need within their area according to Mr. Frank Cox, Galway Area Council President of the Society. He says that the Society has often been labelled as an association of "do gooders and holy joes" but he refutes that by explaining that its members are ordinary everyday people who only wish to engender good will in their daily lives. He feels that there are people in need of assistance today but who are too afraid to ask for fear of being scorned at. The Society, he says is always willing to reach out a helping hand to anyone in trouble. He reassures me that no one need very know but the person who is being helped and the helper. The Galway St. Vincent De Paul Society is lavish in its praises for the generosity shown by Galwegians every time the Society appeals for

money. "We want to get across our appreciatioin to the people of Galway for standing right by us down through the years" said Mr. Frank Cox. "They have never let us down, we can count on their support". TALES O F THE PAST It was long past 9.30 p.m. when the frail old lady with the deeply fuirowed face wondered if she had enough coal for the fire. After all she had three visitors this Monday night and the chill of November was creeping into the winter air. "No night for Nimmo's Pier or is it Silver Strand the couples court in nowadays?" she joked, waiting on my reply.

eyes now for the T.V. or the steady ticking clock was no companion for the long dreary winter nights. In a house up the road a mother who had not gone outside the door for the last 16 years shed silent tears for her Mongol daughter who never said any words to break the lonesome silence. Two old women condem ned to live out their last days in sadness and yet prepared to take the sting out of their suffering by saying "Blessed Be The Will Of God". The Galway St. Vincent De Paul Society is busy helping to bring a smile into the quiet eyes of those people. The Society's annual appeal She was 80, silver haired continues until Dec. 13th. and alone with her good Door to door and church humour. She recounted tales gate collections are being of the past with a hint of. organised in every part of regret in her voice. She had the city. The Society is few people to share her appealing to you to give thoughts with those days. generously. The light was seldom in her Mary O'Connor

CLAT5EMBP1DGE CRYSTAL

SAVOY SKATING PLUS
EGLINTON STREET Have You Skated Yet? If not why not learn to skate at our Fabulous Skating Rink on Mon., Tues., and Thurs., nights. (Over 21s) You can get fit! Loose Weight! and enjoy yourself at the same time. Professional Staff in attendance

CRYSTAL GIFTS
CHRISTMAS SALE
OUR SIXTH ANNUAL PROMOTION THE BEST YET !

LARGE RANGE OF FIRST QUALITY LEAD-CRYSTAL GLASSWARE AT CONSIDERABLY REDUCED PRICES SA VE 25%--50%

From Monday 1st to Wednesday, 24th D e c e m b e r
OPENING HOURS: Monday-Friday 9 a.m.--6 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m.--6 p.m. Sunday 2--6 p.m. LATE OPENING--Thursdays and Fridays to 9 p.m.
"Other Sessions As Usual"

BRING YOUR FRIENDS ALL ARE WELCOME