WITH the cost of living crisis pushing up demand, Letterkenny’s foodbank has been forced to reduce its handout frequency.
The registered charity has warned of its concerns for this coming winter amid a 33 per cent surge in the number of people it has supported in the last six months.
Such has been the pressure on the Market Square based charity, it has been left with no alternative but to decrease the frequency of food to families reaching out to them to once every four weeks because it does not have enough food to sustain a three-week rotation.
They say they fear the problem could get worse.
Speaking to the Donegal News, Public Relations Officer of We Care Letterkenny Food Bank, Fintan McGrath said: “In the eight months to the end of August 2023 compared to the prior year we have seen a 25 per cent increase in the number of food parcels/people supported by We Care Letterkenny Foodbank.
“In the past five or six months in particular the numbers are up approximately 33 per cent on last year. Such has been the demand that we were forced to reduce the handout frequency for families coming to us from once every three weeks to once every four weeks.
“We simply have not got enough food to sustain the three-week rotation frequency.”
Year to date, the charity says it has handed out approximately 3,000 food parcels to families and individuals in Letterkenny and throughout the county. It’s a trend expected to rise this winter.
“We have several hundred families/individuals on our books, and, given current trends, heading into the winter months this number will inevitably increase,” said Mr McGrath.
As we were speaking with Mr McGrath, queues of people were forming outside the foodbank before the premises opened its doors.
“Reducing frequency is something that we have been forced to do,” he said.
“ In the last few months we had to make a decision and we made that decision at the beginning of June or July. Our demand is going up all the time.
“We have more refugees, and more demand generally because of the cost of living crisis. There are so many households in crisis, and because of that we had to make the call regarding frequency. We have had to take measures in order to ensure as wide a reach as possible.
“There are queues outside at the moment, and that is even before we open the doors.”
Mr McGrath stressed that no-one in need will ever be turned away. He said the charity is being supported as ever by the kindness of strangers via donations, and Donegal Food Response Network.
“That being said, we will never turn anyone in need away. There is plenty of food out there, and we will never refuse anyone.
“As always we continue to receive tremendous support by way of food and financial donations from across the whole community in Donegal.
“Individual members of the public continuously bring food to our lockup as well as the drop off points in the Community Centre, Solo and Simpsons retail outlets in the town.
“Several local retail businesses are also continuing to support us with excess and surplus food from their stores which makes all the difference to the quantity and quality of food we can distribute. Other organisations, locally based companies, sports clubs and church bodies continue to help out.
“We had a cash collection at the Finn Harps game on Friday night which raised €700. We are extremely grateful to the public and to businesses like Marks and Spencer and Aldi. We rely on all help and especially now because our numbers have really shot up. We are extremely grateful to all concerned for their continuing support in the run up to Christmas this year.”
See We Care Food Bank Letterkenny on Facebook for information on drop off donation points.
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere
SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT EDITION TODAY
and get access to our archive editions dating back to 2007(CLICK ON THE TITLE BELOW TO SUBSCRIBE)