Food bank service has hectic number of deliveries
By Maurice Garvey
A FOOD bank service in Ballyfermot has created five different teams to cater for a “hectic” amount of deliveries.
The service is run by Ballyfermot Partnership, funded by St Vincent de Paul (SVP) and features many volunteers from the local community.
Jacqueline Sheedy getting ready to deliver food
“It is hectic, we are doing about 555 deliveries per week,” said Anne Fitzgerald, CEO Ballyfermot Chapelizod Partnership.
“We have five delivery vans and five delivery teams, and they are out every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.”
The service was initially in trouble when SVP was forced to close the food bank in Cherry Orchard due to a lack of manpower in dealing with the Covid-19 crisis.
However, it has become as busy as ever since the community rallied to keep it afloat and approximately 800 houses have received deliveries.
“It is a combination of efforts coming together. The ongoing issue is funding,” said Ms Fitzgerald.
“We have had Tusla contact us, agencies like Barnardos, youth services and councillors on behalf of families.
We get multiple requests for families but everyone is getting what they need. Co-ordinating is what the Partnership does.”
By subscribing to The Echo you are supporting your local newspaper Click Here: Echo Online.
