When Esther Kingston helped set up the Feed West Cork food bank just over a year ago she wasn’t sure what kind of demand there would be, but now she is in no doubt the need for such services in rural Ireland is growing rapidly.
“Demand is high and getting higher all the time, first with Covid and now with the pressures on the cost of living, a lot of people need a bit of help,” she said.
“It’s something that we started in the Methodist Church here in Drimoleague as a result of Covid, really,” she said. “With the lockdowns and everything we thought there would probably be a demand for it and we just wanted to do our bit for the community, but honestly we didn’t really know what the need was when we started.”
She is one of a team of about 10 volunteers, who help organise and distribute food parcels to those who need them every Tuesday morning and evening.
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“In rural areas, like west Cork, it’s often harder to get help than it is in the cities,” said Kingston. “It takes a lot of courage to ask for help, but once people realise we are here you can see them lift their heads after a few visits. The truth is any of us can find ourselves in this position and people everywhere need help.”
The food bank began operating in May 2021 and has distributed 20 or so food parcels a week ever since.
“You get all kinds of people: families, single people, single parents, really every type of person. Very often you will have people who need help for a few weeks, maybe they have a big bill they can’t pay or they need to put fuel in the car and something has to give and that’s where a service like this can be a big help to people, just to get them over a difficult patch.”
Kingston said a significant proportion of people who use the food bank are working but she has noticed in recent months people are less likely to travel long distances to pick up a food parcel.
“We are the furthest west here so initially we were getting people coming from a wide area, from beyond Skibbereen, Bantry, all over west Cork. In the last few months, though, the circle has definitely decreased. People are now having to think can they afford to drive to Drimoleague with the cost of fuel the way it is,” she said.
The Bandon food bank, about 25 miles from Drimoleague, was the first food bank established in west Cork in November 2020 — also inspired by the local Methodist Church — and volunteer Matt Corke said the service has never been busier.
“We don’t ask for forms or ID or proof of income or anything like that, we simply offer help to people who need it ... we have helped Ukrainian refugees, people with addiction issues, people who are working, families, single people, the door is open to anyone who needs help.
“It is a difficult time for many people and I’d say at the moment we are seeing about half and half families and single people coming to us for help. We even have gardaí collecting food parcels from us and bringing them to people they know need help but maybe don’t want to come in themselves. There is no doubt there is a huge demand out there and it is growing all the time,” he said.