‘We want to make sure that people have hope for the future’

STUDENTS and staff from National Learning Network Ballyfermot launched an inspiring food collection to support homeless families, and families in need, in the locality this Christmas, reports Jenna Schweikert.

The students of the I.T. training course at National Learning Network (NLN) Ballyfermot devised the idea of encouraging donations of food items which will be transported to ‘Liberty Soup Run’, a highly regarded local charity that has supported homeless people in the Dublin region for many years.

Liberty Soup Run was started in 2019 by Fran Dempsey and Christopher O’Reilly. Along with a team of volunteers, they provide food, water, clothing, and other necessities to unhoused people across Dublin.

The student group has already gathered hundreds of euros worth of food items, including rice, pasta, canned goods, cereals, biscuits, chocolate, tea and coffee. The I.T. students called on people to drop in non-perishable, dry food items to NLN Ballyfermot, based on the Kylemore Road, by the beginning of December, or to donate directly to ‘Liberty Soup Run’.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Daithí de Róiste, visited the Ballyfermot centre recently, meeting students and staff of NLN, and members and staff of RehabCare, and Rehab Enterprises. The Lord Mayor saw first-hand the ever-growing collection of food and commended the NLN Ballyfermot team for their initiative.

Dorota Kubiczek, the instructor of the NLN Ballyfermot I.T. course, spoke recently about the fundraiser, saying that it is “a beautiful and inspiring action”.

Lord Mayor of Dublin Daithí de Róiste with NLN Instructor Dorota Kubiczek at the NLN Ballyfermot centre

Dorota said that an I.T. student on her course had previously been homeless, and had experienced first-hand the impact of charities such as Liberty Soup Run. The student created the initiative as he felt motivated to pay back to the community that had been there for him in the past.

Dorota says that the student is now “doing really great and is being supported by National Learning Network to re-skill and to set up a new life”.

Speaking about the specific charity they chose to support, the group of students explained that Liberty Soup Run “do a lot of work on the ground in Dublin”. They spoke about how their initiative is aimed at breaking down the stigma of homelessness.

They said: “It’s more than just giving people something to eat; Liberty Soup Run is there to talk to people, to share experiences, and let people know that someone is looking out for them.

“They help people to interact with other support services out there in the community. It’s a kind face, it’s not just about the food. That’s what makes the difference.”

The initiative brought people together from across National Learning Network, RehabCare, and Rehab Enterprises, all based in the centre on Kylemore Road. The students are encouraging anyone who can, to get involved and be part of this very worthwhile project.

“Even if someone can bring in a can of beans. A little thing, a small action, grows into a big thing.

“There are a lot of people out there who are finding things so difficult. This food drive means that somebody gets to eat over Christmas.

“It’s not a fairytale ending for anybody, but it’s a kind gesture. It gives people a break, and the knowledge that there is food there for their children. We want to make sure that people have more hope for the future”.