Hats (and scarves) off to the ladies of Dominic’s crochet classes
By Mary Dennehy
A WARM Christmas gesture was made to Dublin Simon this week by a group of ladies who attend a Tallaght crochet class.
On Tuesday, the annual crochet competition took place in the Dominic’s Community Centre in Avonbeg, an annual event which boasts a diverse display of highly skilled and festival-themed crochet creations.
Once again this year, The Echo had the pleasure, and very tough task, of judging the competition, which, full of worthy winners and innovative creations, is a snapshot of the talent, creativity and camaraderie between the 80 or so ladies who attend the weekly classes.
After the prize-giving, which saw Vera Sherlock take first place, a special presentation of hats and scarves, many of which were handcrafted by the ladies, was made to Dublin Simon.
Phyllis Royal, who leads the crochet classes told The Echo: “We were thinking of the homeless and what we could do and thought that making scarves and hats could be our way to help.
“After putting the call out, we ended up filling two big boxes of hats and scarves, which we hope will keep people warm this Christmas and remind them that we are thinking of them.”
Brian Gilmore, an outreach worker with Dublin Simon was present on the day to collect the warm donations.
He told The Echo: “We can’t thank the ladies enough for their donations.
“These hats and scarves will affect people directly and the fact that many of the items are beautifully handmade will bring a lot of comfort to those who may not be getting a present this year.
“Homeless people also worry about providing gifts to their loved ones and I have already spotted a few items that would make for beautiful gifts, especially some of the small hat-and-scarf sets for children.
“For a homeless person to be able to give a gift, no matter how small, to a family member can make such a difference.”
He added: “What’s so important about these hats and scarves is that it shows that communities like Tallaght are thinking about homeless people, especially at Christmas, and it reminds us that the smallest gesture can sometimes make the biggest impact.”
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