Christmas fundraising drive in south-west Donegal gathers an amazing €54,561

The organiser of a fundraising drive in south-west Donegal that raised €54,561 for people ahead of Christmas has thanked everyone who helped play a part in a “really special thing.”

Barrie Quinn from Portnoo Market Garden teamed up with the Downstrands Family Resource Centre in Glenties to bring some reassurance to families in need this Christmas.

The GoFundMe titled Heat Homes for the Holidays: Help Our Community remains open and on Christmas Eve, Barrie gave an update and said that 40 families had been helped.

“We've raised over €54,000, amazingly and this is helping members of my community who have fallen on hard times and are struggling,” Barrie, whose business donated €500 earlier this month, posted. “We've identified and helped over 40 families and individuals who really need it. Through the help of school liaisons and our local Downstrands Family Resource Centre, these people have been contacted or they've gotten in contact with us and we've helped them either get the means to heat their homes or vouchers so that they can get food from local shops.

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“You know it's struggles and stresses that nobody should deal with and for all of you who donated, you can think of the people tomorrow that will have a better Christmas because of you.

“Thanks to everyone involved for making it happen. It was an emotional few weeks to go through. I learned a lot a lot of sad stories but we've done something extremely positive and I'm going forward into the new year. We have this now and we will continue to help continue to add to it and continue to help people going forward. So Happy Christmas everybody and thanks again to everybody who donated - it's been a really special thing to do.”