A NORTHSIDE woman was celebrating recently after becoming a charity’s 1,000th volunteers.
Josephine Lennon, from Malahide, was presented with a certificate by ALONE’s longest-running volunteer, Máire Ní Bháin, after her volunteer training evening. Máire has been volunteering with ALONE for 36 years.
Josephine said she has always worked, but following a cancer diagnosis in 2014, she had to stop.
“So there was a question about what I was going to do with my time, because I have lots to contribute,” she said.
“ALONE kept coming back as something I wanted to do. Loneliness is a common experience for people who have cancer. It made me really value friendship.
“With volunteering, you get so much more back than you give. It’s very rewarding. It gives you a real purpose and it helps you make a difference.”
Seán Moynihan, chief executive of ALONE, said: “After 40 years of service, we are delighted to be taking our 1,000th volunteer on board.
“ALONE began as a small organisation in Dublin run by 30 volunteers. Today we have 1,000 volunteers and we help thousands of people across the country every year.
“Over the coming years, we plan to increase this number to 9,000 volunteers in order to meet the increasing demand for befriending and support.”
ALONE is always looking for more volunteers to expand its services.
and reach more people in need of assistance. For more information, visit www.ALONE.ie/contact-us.