A Cork-based charity that provides hot meals to people who cannot afford to feed themselves has seen a 400 per cent increase in the numbers availing of its services in the last 18 months.
Cork Penny Dinners, which was established by the Quaker community, has been serving meals to people in need in Cork since the 1840s.
Volunteer and trustee with the organisation Kaitriona Twoomey said that up to about 18 months ago it was serving 20 meals a day, but now it serves more than 100 people each day.
“At weekends we could have up to 200 people a day,” said Ms Twoomey, adding that women and children were now regularly coming for food, a phenomenon that was non-existent 18 months ago. The charity served a record 1,500 meals last week.