40 bags in 40 days of Lent was Cork woman Sinéad’s charity target

SINÉAD Crowley from Clonakilty set herself a special Lenten target – collect 40 bags of donations in 40 days for Cork Penny Dinners.

Originally from Blarney, Sinéad has lived in Clonakilty for over thirty years.

Sinéad has held collections for Cork Penny Dinners for many years.

The charity holds a special place in her heart. Sinéad said, “a few months ago, on a particularly wet and stormy Sunday, I was speaking to Caitriona Twomey and she told me the weather had changed so quickly that day, a lot of people had to run for cover, leaving and losing their sparse, beloved private possessions as well as their bedding, their sleeping bags - their ‘home’.

“It just broke my heart and made me even more determined to help Penny Dinners and the great team there as much as possible as they continuously help so many people throughout Cork city and county through every season of the year”.

Instead of giving something up for Lent, Sinéad took the initiative to take something up and decided to collect 40 bags of warm clothes, coats, shoes for men, women and children, baby items, bedding, sleeping bags, toiletries, toilet roll, kitchen roll and non-perishable foods.

Sinéad started her collection by donating items from her own home.

She said: “I was having a Spring clean in my own home and had three bags of good, clean items when I was finished. I knew I wouldn’t have 40 bags on my own but I thought other people in my community might also be doing a Spring clean and be able to help me reach my goal.”

Sinéad posted a message on Facebook, asking people if they were willing to donate good quality items to help her reach her goal of donating 40 bags of goods to Cork Penny Dinners.

She said: “I created a post on Facebook and people certainly came forward and they still are. Private individuals have called most days plus local sports teams - Clonakilty Camogie and Ladies Football plus Castlehaven Ladies’ Football team.

“My neighbours, Eleanor and Leslie Bennett, gave me sixty dozen eggs weekly for a large portion of last year which I collected and delivered to Shannon Vale Foods who then delivered them to Cork Penny Dinners. Local Clonakilty businesses have given me vouchers to purchase non-perishable food for Cork Penny Dinners”.

Sinéad loves helping others and was confident that she would collect 40 bags in 40 days because of the charitable and ive people living in Clonakilty who donated items to help Sinéad reach her goal.

She said: “I really love where I live, people come together very strongly to each other and I guess doing these collections make me realise how lucky I am to live in this community and how important the community is.”

When Sinéad collected items for Penny Dinners in the past, the local Red Cross team and the local Gardaí delivered items to Cork Penny Dinners for her when they were travelling to Cork. The same help has been offered for this initiative. Sinéad has been overwhelmed by how the community has come together.

She said: “It’s heartwarming to see the amount of love and thought gone into donations, from children’s toys to kitchen packs, homemade teeny baby cardigans to mens’ big fleecy coats.”

Even though Sinéad had a specific goal in mind, she was always mindful that “people can only do and give what they can, and now more than ever, everyone is being cautious. I’m just really happy with any donations I get. I usually deliver to Penny Dinners once my boot is full plus I do, maybe, two bigger collections during the year such as this one over the Lenten period.” 

Sinéad is committed to helping Cork Penny Dinners.

She said: “Caitriona is one the most positive, determined people I know so anything I suggest she always says yes. The demand for their services grows daily and shows no sign of diminishing. I’m guided by her if there’s anything specific required at any particular time, but a good home is always found for everything delivered, such is the need for and assistance from Cork Penny Dinners. Easter Eggs are in big demand at the moment from hard pressed families plus local groups and Children’s Wards”.

If you would like to help Cork Penny Dinners, donations can be made by visiting  corkpennydinners.ie or emailing [email protected] for more details.