Three inspiring volunteers, Micheál O’Sullivan, Louise Quill and Majella Forde, proudly represented Kerry nationally last night at the Volunteer Ireland Awards 2014 in Dublin. Kerry Volunteer Centre would like to congratulate all three for their outstanding contribution to local and overseas volunteering. On the night both Micheál O’Sullivan and Majella Forde received a Volunteer Ireland Award and were honoured for their fantastic Volunteering work, with Ard Cúram Day Care Centre and the Red Cross.
Majella, from Lixnaw, has volunteered as an Area Community Services Office with the Irish Red Cross in Kerry since 2013. Many people in the community have benefited greatly from Majella’s volunteering such as the 200 people who she has taught first aid to at Practical First Aid level. She generously gives her Thursday nights every week to train a group of 20 – 40 youths aged from 12-18. Majella has arranges special visits to the community nursing home on Valentine’s Day with chocolates and as ‘Red Fred’, the Red Cross local mascot, regularly calls to the children’s ward in Kerry General Hospital. Her fundraising efforts has resulted in a new ambulance and plans have commenced for a new headquarters for the Tralee branch of the Red Cross.
Micheál O’Sullivan received a special Volunteer Ireland Awards on the night and has been volunteering with the last 30 years, since retirement. At the age of 93, he currently volunteers as Chairman of his local Active Retirement Group and is passionate about people getting involved their local communities as he has done in Listowel. He started the campaign to build a dedicated day care centre for the elderly of the North Kerry region and formed a committee that played the pivotal role in fundraising, identifying potential sites and securing grant aid for the project. Thanks the hard work of Micheál and the committee of volunteers, the Ard Cúram Day Care Centre is under construction.
The diversity of Majella’s, Louise’s and Micheál volunteering motivations, interests and efforts, are individually and collectively inspiring. Not only do their efforts highlight the real, positive differences that Volunteers make to the lives of others, their efforts also tell an eloquent story of how volunteering enriches their own lives. To follow their lead, to enjoy the benefits of volunteering and to get involved locally check out the Kerry Volunteer Centre website, www.volunteerkerry.ie or contact us on 066 7117966.
“Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something”
