Joyce has been doing a coffee morning for Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services for the past 20 years.
“I heard an advert on the radio by Marian Finucane for coffee morning while driving to work one day. My sister was very ill at the time with leukaemia and organising a coffee morning for the hospice just seemed the right thing to do. We raised £50 that first coffee morning.”
From a modest start, Joyce has gone from strength to strength and has raised thousands from her coffee mornings. With her partner of 10 years Tomi Reichental, Joyce continues to support Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning. Tomi’s wife sadly passed away with cancer under the care of the Hospice Community Palliative Care Team many years ago. “So we both are firm supporters of Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services and coffee morning” comments Joyce.
Though now retired she returns yearly to her former employer Motor Bureau of Ireland and continues to hold the coffee morning there. Joyce, an avid baker, bakes up to 40 cakes and treats for the coffee morning starting a few weeks in advance and freezes all the cakes in advance! Now in her 21st year of coffee morning, Joyce reflects on the great joy and fun she has had during coffee morning.
“I have met such great people and have so much great support from my old employer and from my family and friends and I so enjoy giving back.”