OVER five and half thousand children received food handouts from a Limerick-based charity last year, during the first Coronavirus lockdown, according to latest figures from the Mid-West Simon Community.
The figures show a sharp rise in children attending the homeless charity’s food bank services across Limerick, Clare and north Tipperary, and a three-fold increase in people availing of its food bank programme between 2018 and 2020.
The charity’s food bank programme, costing an average €100,000 a year, is funded through donations as well as the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD).
In 2018, Mid West Simon provided food to 6,380 individuals including 3,182 children, 1,662 men, and 1,536 women. Demand rose in 2019, when the charity gave food to 7,345 people including 3,669 children, 2,012 women, and 1,664 men.
Again, last year, during the first Coronavirus pandemic lockdown, demand increased again and the charity provided food to 13,196 people, including 5,500 children, 4,592 men, and 3,054 women, which the majority of clients from Limerick.
During lockdown last year, when unemployment rose, and people were restricted from traveling, over 4,690 new clients, who were either isolating, couldn’t travel, or were laid of work, registered for the charity’s food bank service and received delivered food parcels.
“We also delivered thousands of hot meals to those in emergency accommodation (hotels & b & b’s) and these numbers (included in the above figures). We wouldn’t have been able to do this without the support of local shops, businesses and the public who donated food to us,” said a spokeswoman for the charity.
Mid West Simon has called on the government to help fund a Social Grocery Store, which it said, would supply a variety of food and fresh produce for reduced prices to its registered clients.
Some of the charity’s clients told a recent survey how a social grocery store would help alleviate their feelings of “embarrassment” at having to queue in public at food banks and at street outreach soup kitchens.
The charity’s chief executive, Jackie Bonfield, said the proposed initiative – including workshops on cooking and food budgeting – would also “improve clients’ mental health and empower them to move towards self-sustainability and financial stability”.
“Food poverty is on the rise, particularly in socially disadvantaged households, and it leads to a form of social exclusion and social injustice.”
“We need support from the government and businesses in order to setup the Social Grocery as we can’t do it on our own. And we want to provide dignified respectful shopping to our clients,” Ms Bonfield added.
Donations to Mid West Simon Community can be made by contacting 061-608980 or online at www.midwestsimon.ie
