A COMMUNITY voluntary organisation enhancing the quality of life of senior citizens in Macroom, and neighbouring villages, has been nominated in a national campaign, The Big Christmas Giveback, which seeks to shine a light on the positive work happening in local communities.

The person or organisation with the most nominations in the competition will win a €1,000 Town and City Gift Card, such as the newly launched Grá Macroom Gift Card, with one person who nominated them winning a €500 gift card.

Macroom Senior Citizens was founded in 1968 and provides services for the elderly in Macroom town and the Lee Valley region, including seven sheltered houses at Sullane Place and 13 residential units at Sullane Haven. 

The organisation also offers meals and activities at Father Ryan Hall, and makes daily visits and meal deliveries to people living in their own homes.

The group supports the funding of its services though their charity shop ‘The Shopeen’, which is manned by volunteers.

Pat O’Connell, the administrator of Macroom Senior Citizens, said: ‘Macroom Senior Citizens was set up to improve the facilities for elderly people in our community. It is our belief that all people have the right to live independent, full lives and we strive to provide services that enhance the lives of our senior citizens, from our sheltered and residential housing to our Meals on Wheels services providing caring help for those in their own homes. Macroom Senior Citizens is all run by our 21 volunteers. We provide 70 meals each day. For people living alone, it means that there is someone calling on them every day to check they are OK, to get anything they need, and to ensure they have a hot meal. It helps to combat the isolation and loneliness that people may feel from living on their own. 

The new Grá Macroom Gift Card is a really good idea because it will help the local businesses in Macroom and neighbouring towns.

If we won The Big Christmas Giveback and the Grá Macroom Gift Card prize, we’d use the card as Christmas presents for our hard working volunteers.

We couldn’t offer the services we do without their support.’

Backed by Macroom Business Association, the Grá Macroom Gift Card launched in October as a replacement to its previous paper Macroom shopping voucher, extending the reach of the initiative from the town to its surrounding villages in the Lee Valley region.  

Available in both physical and digital formats, the new Grá Macroom Gift Card is available to buy online and in person from Killian Auctioneers Macroom, Cooney’s Garage in Coachford, Connections in Macroom, Dromeys Centra in Ballymakeera and Daybreak in Ballingeary and can be spent with around 100 participating local businesses.

Organisations can avail of a new corporate ordering site, with physical cards delivered securely by post, or the ability to send digital cards on a day/time of the organisation’s choosing.