29.04.2024
Shine a Light Appeal Raises €210,000 – Help Us Reach Our Final Goal
Dublin and Glendalough’s Shine a Light appeal for Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza City has now raised €210,000. Donations have continued throughout Lent and the season of Easter and our goal of €250,000 is now truly in sight.
A huge thank you to everyone who has donated so far and to parishes and individuals who have organised events or taken part in our Lent campaign. Every Euro makes a difference and every cent donated will go directly to our partners in the Diocese of Jerusalem which owns and runs Al Ahli Hospital.
The Archbishop of Jerusalem, the Most Revd Hossam Naoum, and a number of his clergy will visit Ireland at the end of May for a joint retreat with clergy from Dublin and Glendalough. While here they will attend a service in St Ann’s, Dawson Street, to enable us to give thanks for all that The Al Ahli Hospital has done and to pray for its resurgence once reconstruction in Gaza and across the region gets under way.
Archbishop Michael Jackson has paid tribute to all who have contributed to the success of the appeal and urges everyone who is able to do so to help reach the target of €250,000.
“To have received €210,000 in donations so far is spectacular. I want to thank every person who has taken part in any way. We have received some large donations from parishes, organisations and individuals for which we are very grateful. I am equally aware that many people who saved €1 a day during Lent and donated during Advent have contributed with equal generosity and commitment. Others have taken time to organise fundraising events. All of this has brought us to where we now are,” he said.
The archbishop added: “We are seeking your support once again as we embark on the last leg of this current fundraising effort. Please help us in any way you can to reach our goal of €250,000. This will make a huge difference to the people of Gaza who are served by The Al Ahli Hospital. The staff and volunteers at the hospital have continued against all the odds to treat everyone in need, regardless of their faith or background. Their resources have dwindled to almost nothing. They urgently need to be able to look forward to a major input of new resources. The hospital is part of the Diocese of Jerusalem’s Christian outreach. I also urge you to continue to pray for a lasting and just peace for the region”.
At the request of the Diocese of Jerusalem, the funds raised by The Shine a Light Appeal will be used for three purposes:
· First, the solar panels Dublin and Glendalough provided almost 10 years ago are now almost non–operational. We plan to repair and replace them as needed. These will enable a continuity of energy supply when there is no public electricity supply.
· Secondly, before the war the Diocese of Jerusalem was planning to expand its Cancer Centre at the hospital. The Centre, as with the majority of hospitals in Gaza, no longer functions as a result of the war. This too we urgently want to help to repair.
· Thirdly, the diocese was poised to locate an outreach operation of its rehabilitation facility, the Princess Basma Centre in the Mount of Olives, in the Al Ahli Hospital just as the war started. The sensitive treatment and rehabilitation of children, both physically and psychologically, will be essential and will require substantial investment. Funds put aside by the diocese for this purpose will now need to be enhanced by donations, given the huge increase in need expected.
You can donate to the appeal by electronic transfer to: Diocesan Funds of Dublin and Glendalough No 1 A/C Current Account, Bank of Ireland, 2 COLLEGE GREEN DUBLIN 2 IBAN: IE50 BOFI 9000 1769 3548 78, BIC: BOFIIE2D.
Cheques may be sent to Diocesan Offices of Dublin and Glendalough, Church of Ireland House, Church Avenue, Rathmines, Dublin 6, D06 CF67.
Or you can contribute to our GoFundMe campaign at: https://gofund.me/0b2a08e6