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Helping Out the Homeless

A group of dedicated Irish spends every Monday night helping the less fortunate of New York. APRIL DREW went along on the weekly food run.

APRIL DREW

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Tuesday, March 10, 2009, 1:31 AM

Updated Thursday, July 23, 2009, 6:04 PM

It's a sight that is not seen too often. Big burly electricians carving up turkeys and hams donned in white aprons at the Aisling Irish Community Center in Yonkers on a chilly Monday afternoon in preparation for the annual feed the homeless drive in Manhattan.

Over 30 volunteers of all ages and professions pulled over 300 dinners together on Monday, November 24.

"Preparations began about 3 p.m.," explained chairperson of the group, Genevieve Toland from Co. Donegal.

Toland, 35, has been involved with the Irish Volunteers for the Homeless for the past seven years. The organization began in 1990 at the request of visiting Cardinal Tom?s Fiaich.

"He told the Irish to give back to New York so they did," explains Toland.

Along with another small-dedicated group of Irish volunteers, Toland spends her Monday evenings - winter, spring, summer and autumn - on the streets of Manhattan providing nutritious food and drinks to many of New York City's homeless people.

The Local 3 Electrical Union has been the backbone of the Thanksgiving meals for many years.

"For the past six years, Local 3 have provided most of the turkeys and manpower to make the Thanksgiving run possible," said Toland appreciatively.

On occasion, and when they have them, Toland and the group will supply the homeless with warm clothing, including socks, blankets, jumpers and pants.

"People often drop in some clothes to the center for the homeless so we pass them out as best and as fairly as we can," said Toland.

Although there are more men homeless than women, Toland said they do their best of meet the special requests made by the female homeless.

Lee, a New Yorker who looks to be in her fifties, sleeps on the steps of St. Jean the Baptiste Church on Lexington Avenue under the watchful eye of God. On Monday evening, just after receiving her Thanksgiving meal from the Irish volunteers, Lee produced from inside her cardboard box a tartan color blanket that volunteers gave her two years ago.

"They gave me this," she said while wrapping it around her legs. "It's beautiful and I use it every night to keep warm."

Lee, once a Marine, sets aside her hot meal and begins to prepare her shelter for the night of rain that is to come. These steps have been her resting place for many years.

The homeless people at each stop not only got dinner on Monday night, they also got Irish candy, Irish soda and other treats donated to them by Food Ireland in Mount Vernon. It is local businesses in the Yonkers and Woodlawn area that donated the turkey and ham.

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