Dear Parents, Guardians and Friends,

This year the Loreto College annual Christmas Hamper Appeal on behalf of Aoibhneas will look a little different.  This year with your support, we would like to help Aoibhneas put the power back in women’s hands by giving them the means to buy what they want and need for their children.   Rather than the usual donation of physical items, we are asking you to donate, through the school’s EasyPayments facility, to a Christmas Hamper Appeal voucher fund.     Click Easy Payments Link 

This fund will then be used to purchase vouchers for the families to create their own hampers. The concept while simple, carries significant meaning for women who have not had the financial freedom or means to exercise choice over what they buy for their family. Since the lockdown in March, Aoibhneas has seen an unprecedented rise in the number of women and children experiencing domestic abuse and attempting to reach out and engage in their services. The home may have been a place to retreat to from the virus but for victims of abuse being asked to stay at home meant situations became increasingly unsafe with violence in homes becoming more frequent, more severe and more dangerous. Women and children experiencing domestic abuse have fallen casualty not just to abuse but to the suffering linked to their entrapment in the home with their abuser and the disconnect and isolation from vital supports and networks often considered lifelines.

We know as we approach the festive period women face the additional challenge of resourcing Christmas. So, this year more than ever your contributions will make a huge difference to all the families supported by Aoibhneas. With your help we can empower these women. By using the vouchers gifted to them, they will be able to buy their children gifts and other essential items like food, clothing and toiletries. We ask for your assistance in whatever way you can provide it, no donation is too small, as every gift makes a big difference in someone’s life. With thanks and appreciation,

The Christmas Hamper Appeal Committee