Little Flower Christmas Newsletter 2023 Christmas Newsletter As the year draws to an end I would like to say a special thank you to everyone involved with the Little Flower. You all help to make it a very special place. The list is endless from those who use the service; to those that support us by deed and financially; our suppliers and those that just smile and say hello as they walk past. Thank you. I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year. Ruth Harkness General Manager [email protected] Thank You to Our Supporters The support from people like yourselves makes it possible for us to continue serving meals to the people who need it the most. Thank you so much for the continuous support, here are a few of the donors we would like to highlight from this month. Noel’s Deli A heartfelt thank you to all who contributed cash and spare change to our collection box at Noel's Deli on Meath Street. Together, our community raised an incredible total of €347.14, thanks to the kindness of both customers and staff. 40 Years of Support Carmel has been supporting the Little Flower for over 40 years. She drops in with her daughter Trish and they donate coin they have collected. The last day they were in, Trish was telling us that she was in Wexford and happened to tell the local publican about her visits to The Little Flower with her Mam. The landlord went out the back to the office and brought back a big bag of coin and asked Trish to donate it the next time she was coming in. Trish was surprised and delighted. The next night a woman came up to her and said “I heard you talking last night. I work in the local hairdressers, and we had a whip round in the salon today – please donate this too.” There was so much coin Trish’s husband needed to help bring it in. There was a total of €176.31. Thank you to Carmel, Trish, Trish’s husband and the kind people in Wexford. Penny Pickers Joan, Marie and Joan’s daughter Anita collect coin for The Little Flower and they call themselves the 'Penny Pickers'. Four generations from both sides of the family are helping to collect copper coins for the Little Flower. They recently donated €64.57. Joan stores all the coin she collects in her husband’s shed. When she started to sort the coin out this time she discovered it was all covered in mould. She had to wash and dry each individual coin before bringing it in. That really is dedication! Thank you to the Penny Pickers. Bequests. Some of the most heartfelt donations are those that are bequeathed to us. We would like to pay tribute and honour the memory of those that did so in 2023. Kay Mullins RIP Louise RIP Thank you. Christmas in the Little Flower “Christmas in the Little Flower is a very special time of the year for us and the second week of December usually marks the start of the busy season. The place is buzzing with more people than usual. More people than usual come in to eat, they love to have a good chat and catch up with the staff. There are kind-hearted people calling in to bring donations and organisations dropping by with donations and hampers on a daily basis during the lead up to Christmas. There is a wonderful welcoming atmosphere in the place all year round but during this time of the year it is even more special. The building comes alive when people are in it and that couldn’t be truer than at Christmas. It is very hard to know how many people will turn up and how many meals to make. Somehow we always manage to feed everyone and we never turn anyone away. We are so excited to welcome both new and familiar faces to share Christmas with us. We serve a fine mixture of good food, a warm welcome, plenty of craic and maybe even a song or two. At this time of year we think a lot about the people we deliver Christmas meals on wheels to. Many are alone and don’t have family or friends to share time with. We do our best to make Christmas extra special for these people. We get baskets to make hampers that we tie up with a great big bow – we aren’t sure if Santa even does that! We fill the hampers with Christmas lunch and top them up with goodies to eat over the holidays and other things like a hat and scarf or even a pair of gloves. We get to know the people so well that we know their favourite things - one person likes a certain hand cream, another has a very sweet tooth, another loves plenty of marzipan on their Christmas cake. We know these things and we like to put something special in everyone’s hamper. Just like Santa’s little helpers we will be working away until Christmas Eve, doing our best to make Christmas as special as possible for everyone. There is no time in the Little Flower like Christmas. Seeing the joy in people’s faces and knowing that for many this is the highlight of the season for them, means the world to us. We just love it. MERRY CHRISTMAS” Brenda & Martha Honouring the Lives of Those We've Lost In loving memory, we dedicate this section to cherished individuals close to Little Flower who've recently passed. While not all are named, may all the people that have passed away, rest in peace. Little Flower Christmas Cards As Christmas approaches, we are reminded that while Christmas brings joy to many, it can also be a lonely time for many people. At the Little Flower, we strive to ensure that those facing hardship or loneliness during this festive season are not forgotten. Every year we give Christmas dinners and gift bags filled with goodies to offer comfort and joy to those who need it most. It's our way of extending a sense of belonging and holiday spirit to those who may feel alone. Your generosity can truly make a difference this Christmas. By contributing €25 or more to support the Little Flower Penny Dinners, you are not only helping to provide essential meals but also spreading the spirit of giving. As a token of our appreciation, we would like to express our gratitude by gifting you a set of 10 beautiful Christmas cards. Wishing Everyone a Happy Christmas