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EchoLive.ie, 17 Dec
Preparations for Christmas are in full swing at Cork Penny Dinners, and
this year the charity expects to feed in the region of 350 people at
its temporary premises on James Street on Christmas Day, writes CHRIS
DUNNE
Cork's Penny Dinners expecting more than 350 people for Christmas
Dinner
Caitriona Twomey, co-ordinator and volunteer at Cork Penny Dinners,
said they are currently sorting through the many donations they have
received for Christmas hampers. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
Cork Penny Dinners feeds up to 1,000 people every day, and Christmas is
no different.
In fact, demand rises at this time of year.
Caitriona Twomey, co-ordinator and volunteer at Cork Penny Dinners,
said they are currently sorting through the many donations they have
received for Christmas hampers.
“We are making sure nobody goes hungry or without this Christmas,” says
Caitriona.
“We are geared towards the spirit of Christmas, giving, caring,
loving.”
Penny Dinners expect in the region of 350 to 400 people for Christmas
dinner this year.
“It will be served here with everybody sitting down together.
“Dinner is prepared at the River Lee Hotel. Every year, hotel manager,
Rory O’Conner gives us the gift to use his kitchen facilities.”
Caitriona has ensured that everybody enjoys the spirit of Christmas.
“Santa will be calling in with presents for everybody,” she says.
Renowned musicians and singers perform for the annual Christmas party.
“We will have live music and the High Hopes Choir are singing.”
Caitriona and her team of volunteers spread the joy of Christmas.
“Michael Turtle’s company Executive Cars will deliver dinners to
Kanturk and Mallow.
“Christmas can be the loneliest time of the year for some people, but
we lift people’s spirits.
“All the volunteers are putting in a mammoth effort. We are good to go.
Nobody leaves us down at Christmas.”
In recent months, Penny Dinners temporarily moved around the corner
from its premises on Little Hanover Street to the Croí na Laoí Catríona
Twomey Wellness Centre on James Street.
Caitriona, as busy as ever in the new Penny Dinners venue, has welcomed
a lot of new volunteers as well.
“They are a great bunch of people,” says Caitriona.
Conor O’Connor, from Ballyphehane, is one of the many people, who range
in age from 17 to 75, who volunteer with Penny Dinners.
“I make a few hundred sandwiches a day,” says Conor, who is busy
buttering, filling and bagging sandwiches for people who find life
difficult and challenging.
Once upon a time, Conor found life difficult and challenging.
“I was homeless for four months after serving an eight year prison
sentence,” he says.
“I got back on my feet, and I got a safe pass to give me options for
work.
“Then I decided to volunteer here because I know what it’s like to be
homeless and hungry,” says Conor.
Looking at the lengthy queue for food outside the door, Conor knew lots
of days like this.
“I was hungry every day,” he says.
“Caitriona is a great woman, she is God’s gift, and she gave me a job
here as a volunteer.
“It is an important job.”
Chairman of the trustees, Gary Heslin, showing me around the new
impressive premises of Penny Dinners on James Street, agrees with
Conor.
“The volunteers are our life force,” says Gary, who introduces me to
one of the two employees at Penny Dinners, French chef Philippe.
“I like it here,” says Philippe, who is humming, working away happily.
“It is very busy.”
The state of the art kitchen facilities in Croí na Laoí, part of Cork
Penny Dinners' new facilities on James Street. The state of the art
kitchen facilities in Croí na Laoí, part of Cork Penny Dinners' new
facilities on James Street.
Everyone is valued at Croí na Laoí.
“Our employees and our volunteers are so important to keep our services
going 365 days a year, seven days a week, from 9.30am to 3pm,” says
Gary.
He says they do not receive Government funding. Fundraising comes from
individuals, companies, local organisations, and benefactors.
Gary, a busy man himself, takes the time to show me around while kind
volunteer Olive hands me a cuppa.
“We will be going home to Little Hanover Street eventually,” he says.
“Our old premises is undergoing refurbishment and, in the future, will
reopen to resume serving those most in need.”
The needs of the impoverished and vulnerable in society are being well
supported by Croí na Laoí, which has impressive catering and food
production stations, and massive cold storage facilities.
“We have a wellness room, two meeting rooms, and as you saw downstairs,
our new IT facilities - with more than 12 computers - are state-of-the
art, where people can learn new skills to help them become
self-sufficient,” says Gary.
He has the life skills to help people in need.
“I was 27 years in the fire service in Cork city,” says Gary.
“I had a lot of interaction with the homeless. I saw a lot of tragedy,
including recovering bodies from the River Lee.
“I saw people sleeping in doorways. I saw them leave what were
perfectly good duvets now rain-sodden, behind them because they
couldn’t dispose of them.
“Nobody chooses to be homeless,” says Gary.
“The sad situation often comes about from circumstances or from change
of circumstances. Be it health, family problems, loss of job, loss of
home.
“All of a sudden, people can find themselves frozen, wrapped up in a
wet sleeping bag.
“It could be any one of us tomorrow.”
A volunteer using the new cold room facilities in Croí na Laoí, part of
Cork Penny Dinners' new facilities on James Street A volunteer using
the new cold room facilities in Croí na Laoí, part of Cork Penny
Dinners' new facilities on James Street
Gary’s own circumstances helped him decide to volunteer for Penny
Dinners.
“It happened organically, that I wanted to do something after retiring
from the fire service,” he says.
“I volunteered in 2011. I was retired and my children were grown up.”
He didn’t always live in the ‘Real Capital’. “I’m a Limerick man,” says
Gary. “I came to Cork for work, and I settled here.”
What did he discover in Cork when he volunteered with Penny Dinners in
2011?
“I saw more and more people presenting from all walks of life,” says
Gary.
“People who were feeling the pinch. People who had addiction problems.
“I saw so-called middle-class people whose mortgages went through the
roof queuing up outside our centre for food. Rents had gone up, utility
bills went up.
“It was hard to manage domestic and family affairs.”
He discovered something else.
“The people of Cork, the companies in Cork, the businesses in Cork,
helped keep us going. They are so generous.”
Gary discovered what we all know: Cork people help to look after their
own.
“Penny Dinners does what it says on the tin,” says Gary.
“We don’t judge. We just serve. We feed a huge amount of people, and we
see old and new faces all the time.”
Penny Dinners often push the boat out.
“When Covid knocked us back, we had our Knight Riders out on the
streets on their push-bikes.
“The baskets on the bikes carried food to people living on Cork’s back
streets and laneways,” says Gary.
“Our vans were supplying sleeping bags, baby wipes and other essentials
to the homeless.
“The van drivers made us aware of anyone hungry so that we could pop
over and feed them.”
Volunteers cooking food and prepping meals in the new kitchen
facilities at Croí na Laoí, part of Cork Penny Dinners new facilities
on James Street. Volunteers cooking food and prepping meals in the new
kitchen facilities at Croí na Laoí, part of Cork Penny Dinners new
facilities on James Street.
No door was ever closed to the needy.
“Our front door was still open for the queues of hungry people. We feed
everyone.”
Crói na Laoí Caitriona Twomey Wellness Centre on James’ Street
continues to feed everyone, and more.
“Now, our new premises can offer health and wellness support, recovery
meetings, mental health workshops, arts and drama classes, all of which
provide vital stepping stones for those who need it, those who are out
of homelessness, or into employment.”
“There’s a place for everyone at Croí na Laoí.
“Refugee groups can share the space to meet up and support each other.”
Gary says it is a sad indictment that the long-ago soup kitchen concept
of the 1880s has increased in demand.
“Demand has gone up and up,” says Gary. “Ireland is technically among
the top three richest countries in the world.
“Cork Simon is bursting at the seams,” adds Gary. “We need more hostels
in the city.”
Caitriona has time for a quick break.
She’s coming out from behind what looks like Santa’s Grotto, filled
with selection boxes.
“I remember when we were kids, we were told we had to eat our dinner
first, before any sweets could be opened. I like to think I follow the
same rule here!”
Caitriona’s dad, Tom Lynch, was well known in Cork city as a man for
all seasons, a man who fed the hungry and who helped the
poverty-stricken. Caitriona says the charity is continuing its
commitment at the new premises “to serving and supporting people in
need now and into the future”.
The lunch-time rush has died down.
Within a few hours, 800 to 900 meals have been served. Hundreds of
‘survival bags’ have been dispersed.
As a winter evening dawns, rough sleepers emerge. They are cold and
weary of the dangers surrounding them.
Who lives next door, at number 14 ,James’s Street?
“A number of men who are trying to get back on track live there,” says
Gary. “Their fortunes have changed for the better.”
Read More
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