Day Nineteen: County Kildare
Tuesday 19 May
The annual VOX magazine Finding Faith Tour looks very different this year. Instead of a 7-day road trip around the island, this year VOX editor Ruth Garvey-Williams brings you highlights from all 32 counties (one per day plus one for each of the 31 days in May). Contact Ruth if you have a story to share.
Day Nineteen: Caring for the Carers
Recognising the challenges faced by frontline workers during the Covid-19 emergency, Open Arms Church in Newbridge, Kildare sprung (safely) into action.
Pastor PJ Booth told VOX, “Over a dozen of our members are working in care homes and nursing homes. Nurses would send us photos of their hands and faces after wearing PPE all day - their skin was dried out, their faces were bruised and their ears were cut from the mask elastic. We wanted to thank them and show care.”
The church began to gather high quality products such as hand cream, moisturising hand sanitiser, Lily O’Brien’s chocolates, shampoo and more. “We were able to create quite a substantial package and deliver them to 15 local care homes, nursing homes and hospitals,” PJ said.
With support from local businesses and funds raised from selling “Thank You All Frontline Services” T shirts, the team of volunteers have created and distributed 1,000 care packs in recent weeks, extending their reach to Tusla homes and KARE (a Kildare group supporting people with physical and intellectual disabilities).
Special hampers were delivered to the local Garda Station in recognition of their work keeping people safe.
“We’re even helping a local Chinese restaurant to deliver take away meals to a nursing home!” PJ said. “This has really brought us all together and also a way of letting people know we are here. We’ve had support from the community with donations from pharmacies and supermarkets.”
Like most other churches, Open Arms has been offering online church and recognising the need for the future, PJ and his team have been able to set up a Recording Studio in one of the office spaces of the church. “We intend to continue having church online even when we are back meeting in the building so that we can support people who are cocooning and those who have connected with us online.”
“This is really breaking down barriers and we hope as a result people will come to know Jesus.”
