PATRICIA Mulvin, from Stillorgan, returned in time for Christmas after spending time in the Philippines where she had been working for aid agency Concern.
An accountant who has worked for Concern Worldwide for 10 years, Patricia went to Mount Sackville Convent, Chapelizod.
She was on annual leave when she got the call to go to the Philippines and left three days later.
“Although I have travelled a lot with Concern this trip has been really different because I managed to get away from the spreadsheets and help out with the distributions on the islands,
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“The people are so lovely and it was amazing to see how much we are helping them out. The small islands were very badly hit by the typhoon and you could see the debris everywhere.
“But the people still have a smile on their faces and are getting on with their lives.
“We distributed tools to rebuild their houses, plastic sheeting, kitchen sets, soap, blankets, mats and solar lights along with other material and they were delighted with what they received.
“It was an honour to be part of the distribution team and to see how much it is appreciated and the difference it will make to their lives.
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She added:
“Although the logistics of getting the stock from our warehouse in Dubai to the islands wasn’t easy we have a fantastic team who worked around the clock to make the distribution happen as quickly as possible.
“It has been an amazing experience for me but now it’s back to the figures.
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Patricia arrived back in Dublin just in time for Christmas and is now off to the Lebanon, again working for Concern in support of the refugees from Syria.