Louth Volunteer Centre urges public to stay safe whilst helping others

Louth Volunteer Centre have urged anyone in the public who is helping others during the Covid-19 pandemic to stay safe whilst doing so.

The local organisation has been supporting groups who involve volunteers in their work and people who want to volunteer in County Louth since 2003 and they say they are delighted with the community response to the current Covid-19 crisis.

It says that this "might be one of the most trying times we have ever experienced but it has also highlighted the great solidarity amongst Irish people."

Gráinne Berrill, Louth Volunteer Centre Manager, told the Dundalk Democrat that:

“The outpouring of community support for those most vulnerable is bigger than anything we’ve seen before. Communities are pulling together in lots of ways to ensure we all get through this together”.

The team in Louth Volunteer Centre are urging everyone to stay safe. As noted by Gráinne, “everyone wants to help, which is fantastic, but we really want to make sure people don’t put themselves or vulnerable people at risk.

"We can all help by following government guidance and staying connected whilst maintaining social distance – a phone call to a relative or neighbour who you know is on their own can make all the difference”. 

Gráinne further advised people to “not to put their own contact details out on social media, call to people’s doors unannounced and to always get their information on volunteering, or anything to do with the current crisis, from a trusted or official source”.

Kayleigh Mulligan who looks after Louth Volunteer Centres’ service in North Louth adds that “right now a lot of our local community and voluntary services who are on the frontline and helping our most vulnerable are still operating.

"Some are experiencing gaps in their service and we are helping them to identify and recruit volunteers to fill those gaps. We know a lot of people who volunteer in our communities are older so we expect more of those gaps to emerge as time goes on”.

The Volunteer Centre team are encouraging people who want to volunteer or to be kept up to date on volunteering safely to register on their website www.volunteerlouth.ie and are also asking groups working in frontline services to get in touch if they need support at this difficult time and they can reach Kayleigh at info@volunteerlouth.ie or 086 043 1379.