FoodCloud has got my brain working in a whole new way
Ella and Jessica organising food at the centre in Broomhill

FoodCloud has got my brain working in a whole new way

A social enterprise that redistributes surplus food from retailers to community organisations in Clondalkin, Ballyfermot and Tallaght is seeking long-term volunteers.

Based in Broomhill Business Park, FoodCloud was founded in 2013 and supplies food to many local organisations, including JADD (Jobstown Assisting Drug Dependency) and Cheeverstown House.

For JADD, the food that FoodCloud supplies has a positive impact on service users and can serve as a means to break down the initial anxiety that clients might have about accessing the service.

“When you’re dealing with quite high-risk, high-need individuals, when they’re walking in that door there can be fear or anxiety,” Shane Hamilton, coordinator of JADD, told The Echo.

“But the opportunity to offer them a bowl of soup or a sandwich can be a huge olive branch for them to take the first step. It provides them with a level of comfort.”

During the course of an average week, 60 people who access JADD’s services get a FoodCloud pack to bring home, and over 100 people get meals in JADD’s premises using food supplied by FoodCloud.

“I think food can be quite often overlooked as a vital element of community-based support services,” added Mr Hamilton.

Vinny arranging food in the store

“If people are coming in hungry, it’s very hard to start exploring their other needs.”

Over in Templeogue, chef manager Janice Down said that for staff, residents and service users at Cheeverstown House, the food supplied by FoodCloud allows them to explore different foods they wouldn’t otherwise get.

“We get donations from Lidl, Tesco and Dunnes through FoodCloud,” explained Ms Down.

“You wouldn’t get run-of-the-mill stuff. We get different food that we couldn’t get on our budget.”

The food supplied by FoodCloud consists of donations of food that is nearing its use by and best before dates, and at points Cheeverstown House has received legs of lamb and other items like couscous and quinoa through the initiative.

Jerry on the fork lift loading a van

A total of 250 meals are served in Cheeverstown House every day, using food supplied by FoodCloud.

“FoodCloud have got my brain working in a whole new, different way,” said Ms Down.

“We would usually decide our menus on a six-week rota, but now we just do it day-by-day because we don’t know what we’re going to get.

“The service users are getting to taste different types of food, so it’s opened up their palates.”

The pandemic has seen an increased demand for FoodCloud’s services, so the social enterprise is looking for long-term volunteers in the Tallaght area to help them to carry out their work in the community.

Vivienne driving the forklift

Ella Cronin from FoodCloud said: “FoodCloud is looking for local Tallaght community members to join FoodCloud as long-term volunteers.

“Volunteers are a central part of the team and essential in working towards our mission to see a world where no good food goes to waste.

“There are a variety of roles available such as driving, call centre, warehousing, gleaning, office-based admin and virtual admin.

“These roles are a fantastic opportunity to gain hands-on experience while helping to support charities nationwide.”

FoodCloud also supplies surplus food to community organisations and charities including Clondalkin Helping Homeless, the Ballyfermot Chapelizod Partnership, and local conferences of St Vincent de Paul.

To find out more about volunteering for FoodCloud, visit www.food.cloud/volunteer-with-foodcloud/

See more here: FoodCloud delivered €9.1m in meals to community groups

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