A great-grandmother who has hosted coffee mornings for three decades in aid of her local Hospice, told today (Sept 22) how the amount raised soared to €5,000 when Covid-19 forced her to move the event to her garden.
Stephanie Graham was joined by grand-daughter Beth-Anne Graham on the 30th anniversary of Bewley’s Big Coffee Morning Social for Hospice.
They joined thousands of other hosts across Ireland who boiled kettles and buttered scones for the country’s biggest coffee morning – with every cent donated going straight to local Hospices.
Stephanie and close friend Joan Merrigan started hosting in Stephanie’s home in Terenure, Dublin, after a family friend moved to Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services in Harold’s Cross, Dublin, for palliative care.
“I was around the Hospice so often that I was asked by one of the staff to help with fundraising and that is how it all began,” said the former insurance company secretary.
“My coffee mornings began as very small affairs, raising £200. We thought we were great when we went on to raise £500.”
But the money raised soared when she decided to serve drinks and snacks from her garden when the pandemic struck.
Last year, €5,000 was collected for Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services.
Beth-Anne Graham, granddaughter of Stephanie and Stephanie Graham.
Picture: Tom Honan.
Together for Hospice, The National Hospice Movement, represents 26 Hospice and specialist palliative home care providers supporting patients and their families nationwide.
Stephanie, along with daughters Suzanne and Helen, grand-daughter Beth-Anne and friends Joan Merrigan and Gráinne Cregan, now hope to raise even more when donations are counted from today’s fundraiser – and an earlier one they hosted last Saturday.
“It has become a bit of a local social event over the years,” she said.
“I live on the main road and people passing stop to offer a donation without having any coffee.”
Her main motivation, she said, is to celebrate the “fantastic work of the Hospice movement, both in terms of residential and palliative care”.
“Personally, there has always been something special to me about a Hospice nurse and I feel lucky to play a small part in the wonderful work they do.”
If you want to support the 30th anniversary fundraising effort for Hospice, donate at www.hospicecoffeemorning.ie/donate.
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