Crossgar schoolchildren donate items to homeless

Crossgar schoolchildren donate items to homeless

19 December 2018

STAFF and students at St Colmcille’s High School in Crossgar have collected a huge selection of items for a Ballykinlar man’s annual Christmas charity appeal.

Raphael Mason says he is “overwhelmed” by the school’s generosity for his appeal in aid of DePaul and Down District Home-Start.

The photographer started helping those in need following a chance meeting with homeless man Martin in Dublin in 2014.

Since then in the run-up to Christmas, Raphael has collected new and nearly new clothes and toiletries for the DePaul charity.

DePaul helps homeless people across Ireland and offers immediate and long-term support to people struggling to get by, while, closer to home, Raphael is helping Home Start this Christmas which is staffed by volunteers and supports local families.

Raphael met Martin living on the streets of Dublin during a trip to visit family members. The meeting had a profound impact  and he subsequently organised an appeal as soon as he returned home.

Last Friday,  while at special assembly at St Colmcille’s — where he was presented with several hundred items — there was an amazing coincidence.

Just before Raphael was about to address staff and students, his mobile phone pinged in his jacket pocket as he sat behind St Colmcille’s principal, Mrs Finola Coyne.

“I discreetly took a look to see what it was and was stunned to see an image of Martin, the homeless man I met in Dublin which kicked off the idea to have an appeal in the first place,” he explained.

“My phone was telling me that it was four years since I posted about meeting him and Facebook was reminding me of the ‘anniversary’ by way of a notification. It brought back vivid memories of seeing Martin lying in the street with pigeons on top of him and all around him.

“Seconds later, Mrs Coyne introduced me to all present and asked me to say a few words and I have to admit I was pretty choked up, firstly at the generosity of the students and at the image of Martin which had just appeared on my phone.”

Raphael said it was strange that Martin’s image should appear just as he was about to tell everyone in the hall about how tough life on the streets of Dublin was for him and how I had met him. 

“With Martin’s image firmly in my thoughts, I managed to thank those who joined together to hand over such a wonderful amount of donations which will be delivered to DePaul in Belfast and Down District Home-Start,” he said.

Raphael added: “A massive thank you to everyone who has donated to date and to the students and staff of St Colmcille’s High School in particular. I have been left overwhelmed by their generosity and that of so many other people. On behalf of DePaul and Home Start, a massive thank you.

“I could never have believed that after news of my annual appeal appeared in the Down Recorder that St Colmcille’s teacher Ursula Monan would contact me to inform me that students would be collecting to support my appeal. The gifts and items they collected for me was amazing and I am so thankful for their generosity.”