Johnstown preparing to deliver lorry load of aid

The Johnstown Navan Ukraine Appeal will be delivering a lorryload of aid to Ukrainian refugees in Poznan, Poland on 28th March.

The appeal has been put in touch with Poland's largest charity, Caritas, by Fr Janusz Ługowski, Polish chaplain to the Meath diocese.

The founding member of the appeal, Gillian Lindsay Doonan has been in touch with the charity in Poland. She asked the charity what they needed most to cater for the thousands of Ukrainian refugees crossing the border into Poland and being looked after by Caritas.

The truck, which will deliver the good to Poznan will be arriving in Johnstown Shopping Centre carpark on Thursday 24th March.

It will remain there until Monday 28th March when it will leave at approximately 4pm for Poznan, Poland.

“So far, I have managed to source all of the items on the medical list and have hospitals and the HSE on board,” says Gillian.

“Supervalu will have trolleys at the end of their checkouts where anyone can donate items from our aid list.

“Anything collected will be sorted and packed onto pallets in the unit beside Feel Fit Gym and Spun Cycle on the other side of the car park.

“We will need volunteers each day to help the sorting and packing.”

Children's items needed include thermal socks and vest, underwear, baby food, baby bottles, plastic toys, books, and jigsaws, bubbles and crayons.

For adults they need coats, thermal vests, socks and underwear, scarves, hats, gloves all sizes and flip flops for standing in showers.

Other items needed include thermal blankets, towels, batteries, power banks for phones, flash lights, deodorant, soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes.

Food aid donations must be non perishable items such as soup, pastas, rice, sauces, tinned food, honey, biscuits, tea, coffee, sugar, cereals and bars, porridge and custards.

Medical items needed include bandages, needles, oxygen masks, oxygen, trauma kits, equipment for surgery, resuscitation equipment, sterile wipes, infusion pumps, traumatic wound care items, catheters, central lines, pain killers, gloves, blood clothing gauze, incontinent pads all sizes and refrigerated medication for diabetes.

Second hand book sale

Trim’s Adrian Dunne Pharmacy is holding a second hand book sale to support the Ukrainian appeal with a huge array of books in store to choose from.

The pharmacy was inundated with donations of books after posting details of their proposed book sale on facebook a week ago and over €500 was raised on their first day of the book sale on Friday.

For the moment, Adrian Dunne’s is not accepting more second hand books but they are encouraging people to come in and choose a book from the large number of books on offer including chick lit, sport, history, travel and cookery books as well as children’s books.

To support the fundraiser, just pick up a book, and leave a donation.

Local artists in the Oldcastle area have come together to raise funds for the people of Ukraine.

An art exhibition will take place in the town this weekend with all proceeds going to the Red Cross.

The exhibition is being organised through Castle Arts, an organisation which gives a platform to local artists from Oldcastle and the surrounding areas, originally founded by Margaret McKenna.

The exhibition will run from Friday the 18th to Sunday the 20th of March, with a launch reception at 8pm on the Friday evening.

It will also be possible to purchase a painting online via Castle Art’s Facebook page, @castleartsoldcastle.

Over ten artists, working in various mediums, will have their work displayed and sold over the two days to support the Ukrainian Red Cross Appeal.