Trócaire, the Catholic bishops’ overseas development agency, has appealed to people to hold onto their Lenten collection boxes for now. Traditionally the boxes are collected from schools and homes in these weeks after Easter.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, schools in Ireland, where Trócaire boxes were widely distributed, have been closed since March 12th and access to homes has been heavily curtailed by current guidelines.
Trócaire’s 2020 Lenten campaign highlighted the different ways in which mothers in the developing world were protecting their families from the effects of climate change and actions of corporations.
It asked Irish people to show their support for those in the world's poorest countries, drawing attention in particular to families in Honduras and Kenya. Their stories illustrated how women around the world generally were overcoming great obstacles to protect their families.
Ireland’s largest annual fundraising campaign, it benefits almost three million impoverished people each year.
On Tuesday, the agency's chief executive Caoimhe De Barra said, "I want to thank the thousands of Trócaire supporters who have been filling their boxes over recent weeks. We want you to hold onto your Trócaire box and return it at a later date when it is safe and possible to do so.
"In the meantime, our programmes overseas need your support more than ever. The coronavirus is now present in all the countries we work in, including some of the poorest countries in the world. We have seen how this virus has stretched Europe to its limits. Can you imagine the devastation it could cause in countries with no resources to fight it?"
She added, “Our focus in the weeks and months ahead is to do what we can to protect them. We must stop the coronavirus from infecting the poorest people in the world.”
In Ireland “we have rallied together. We must also rally together as a global community to protect the most vulnerable. Trócaire will do just that in the difficult days that lie ahead,” she said.
Meanwhile people can donate by post, by phoning 1850 408 408 (RoI) or 0800 912 1200 (NI) or online at www.trocaire.org/donate/make-a-donation
