Dear Madam, - I, as a volunteer of the Fr. McVerry Homeless and Food Trust, on his behalf, would wish to express sincerest gratitude to Fr. Michael King PP and the generous donations from the good people of Galloon Parish who subscribed to my church gate collection at St. Mary’s and St Patrick’s Donagh on 9 November. The total amount collected and converted to euro was €1,100 which is very much appreciated by Fr. McVerry and his ground volunteers for the ‘Open a Door for the poor’ Christmas demands. I am extremely thankful to your newspaper for the volume of space and publicity your paper has afforded me in my ambitions to raise awareness within the fraternity of the county’s parish priests and volunteers committees in the parishes of Fermanagh to hold a church door collection.

I am aware that many organisations are crazy to raise funds running up to the Christmas spend time and I would be willing to bide my time and wait for an opportune weekend date within your parish for a collection which would require local volunteer input for a parish collection to be as successful as the Galloon collection was.

I am extremely disappointed that despite the valuable coverage of my appeal in your newspaper and the huge avalanche of national media coverage post the death of the unfortunate Jonathan Corry RIP from hunger and hypothermia, near the doors of the Dail. And, despite the fact that my address and phone numbers were included in your newspaper article, I have not received one telephone call or letter from a priest or committee member from a church parish offering a solution to help or advise on the devastating plight of the unfortunate homeless and hungry brothers and sisters, almost on our door step. I would sincerely hope that the absence of response from the parishes is not a matter of; my house is warm; my oil tank is full and my refrigerator is not on vacation. Homeless or hunger do not concern me!

I will look forward to a response with a view to reversing the text of this letter in the near future and that we can work together for all those less fortunate than us. Yours faithfully, Pat Chapman Corlatt Newtownbutler BT92 8ER Tel: 028 677 38562 Mob: 07895332312