With the cold snap continuing to bite, a Cork egg producer has this Christmas added firewood to its considerable number of charitable donations.

Riverview Eggs in Watergrasshill every week donates 40 to 60 dozen eggs to Cork Penny Dinners and to Cork Simon, ensuring that service users get a healthy meal, full of protein and vitamins.

The company's donation also means that those Cork charities don’t have to buy eggs, and can spend the money saved elsewhere.

For the past 16 years the Cork company, which is Munster’s largest producer, packager and distributor of Bord Bia quality-assured eggs, has donated eggs to the annual Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) food appeal.

This year, conscious of soaring energy costs, the company decided to donate firewood as well as its usual delivery of eggs.

DJ Kelleher, managing director of Riverview Eggs, told The Echo he hoped the firewood might go a little way to helping people struggling to heat their homes during the current cold snap and into Christmas as the cost of living crisis continues.

“Our world has changed dramatically over the past three years, with the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and with economic strife, across Ireland and globally.” Mr Kelleher said.

“We decided that, along with our usual donation of eggs to the SVP appeal, a pallet of wood might help some families this Christmas.

“The wood was chopped and bagged by Greg and Dean Roche, and it will be distributed in Cork by the SVP.” 

Mr Kelleher said he hoped others would support the SVP annual appeal.

“We would urge you to help your local SVP in whatever way you can, especially tis Christmas, as everything helps,” he said.

Riverview Eggs employs 22 people locally and a further 40 are supported on its family production farms.

For almost two centuries, the St Vincent de Paul annual appeal has helped people facing hardship at Christmas. 

To donate, and to help families in the community, please visit www.svp.ie.