An East Kilbride truck driver returned dwelling to a hero's welcome after travelling over 2000 miles to ship humanitarian assist for St Bride's Church’s Ukrainian warfare refugee enchantment.
Kevin Quinn made the mercy mission in a truck donated freed from cost from his son Kevin Gaffney’s native agency, SG Plant Rent.
Polish parish priest Fr. Rafal Sobieszuk is coordinating an assist assortment for Ukranian refugees who've escaped Russia’s invasion to his homeland in Jap Poland.
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Hailing Kevin a “native hero,” Fr. Rafal instructed Lanarkshire Dwell : “Kevin is well-known in our area people and undoubtedly our personal native hero now.
“He drove over 1600 miles a technique in simply over two days and likewise sailed 16 hours.
“He got here again safely to East Kilbride on the next Monday. He parked his lorry close to the church, and it was great to see our mission has been completed.”
The primary lorry load carrying over eight tonnes of important provides arrived in Siedice, Jap Poland on March 18, the place the donated items have been distributed to Ukranian refugees by native Catholic charity, Caritas Siedice.
Fr. Rafal joined Kevin and his 14-year-old son Charlie who additionally made the lengthy haul journey to the Polish capital Warsaw to make sure the products arrived safely.
Their mercy mission even made headline information on Polish TV.
Non secular figures from throughout the city have lent their assist with Fr. Dominic Quinn from St Leonards Church, Our Woman of Lourdes parish priest Fr. Frank Dougan, Fr. Romanus Enyinnia of St Vincent De Paul’s and Rev Anne Paton at East Kilbride Previous Parish Church additionally serving to with the drive.
And beneficiant parishioners dug deep for the continued enchantment to assist cowl the prices of packaging and transportation, elevating a whopping £8000 in a single weekend.
Kevin, a grandad-of-eight and father-of-eight, stated he “felt good” for with the ability to do his bit for the war-torn nation.
“It’s a horrible state of affairs, simply so unhappy to see wee children strolling round a warzone”, he instructed us.
“My son Charlie has been so shocked by all of it and needed to do his bit as nicely so he got here on the journey with me as my navigator.
“I instructed him how near dwelling it truly is, you assume it’s far-off but it surely’s solely 2000 miles that means.”
Kevin, a former pupil of St Bride's Excessive, added: “A buddy of mine is a parishioner at St Bride’s and requested if I might take the load out.
"We sailed to Amsterdam from Newcastle, drove by Holland and Germany into Poland to the Ukranian border the place Polish TV information and the mayor met us.
“I’m going to exit once more in a few weeks. My household are very proud.”
The enchantment for Ukrainian warfare refugees began on March 2, with native church buildings obtained sufficient donations to fill a whole lorry within the house of the primary two days.
Coca-Cola East Kilbride additionally pitched in by storing the donations of their warehouse and making ready them for transportation.
And the corporate generously donated two pallets of Coke and water for every lorry sure for Poland.
Pupils from St Andrew’s and St Bride’s Excessive waved off a second lorry load final week, with extra journeys deliberate within the weeks forward.
Fr. Rafal stated: “I requested all our parishioners to collect outdoors close to the lorry.
"It was becoming that they need to witness this in spite of everything their very exhausting work over the 2 first weeks of March.
“Kevin was introduced with a memorial t-shirt with the emblem of our Ukrainian enchantment. It was very emotional and deeply touching seeing the lorry leaving our church together with the Purple Cross indicating its humanitarian mission painted on the perimeters of the car.
“We had an amazing welcome in Poland and had some great pictures taken and movies filmed. There have been native press current and TV information crews who needed to write down about all our work.
“I wish to take this chance to thank everybody who was concerned in our Ukranian Conflict Refugee Attraction, which turned an amazing success.
“There have been very many individuals and organisations which have been concerned on this enchantment, I'm very grateful for any contribution made.
"It was executed with nice enthusiasm, generosity and pleasure.”
You may make a donation to the enchantment right here.
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