'We will keep going': Cork Penny Dinners makes urgent appeal for 'practical' tinned items

A soup kitchen that provides up to 2,000 dinners a week to the homeless in Cork has issued an urgent appeal for specific small tinned items that can be given out to the needy during the outbreak of Covid 19.

Cork Penny Dinners, which feeds the homeless and needy, requires pot noodles, small tins of corned beef and ham, small tins of stew and tins of steak and kidney pie.

Caitriona Twomey, who runs the facility on Little Hanover Street in the city, asks the public to be mindful of what they donate in this time of crisis.

"We need small tins of meat that can be sliced up and put with mashed potato for a meal. Stuff that people can use to make dinners. Pot noodles can at times be a meal in themselves. Everyone is scared but we have to be practical."

Ms Twomey was heartened by the huge outpouring of support she received from hoteliers and restaurant owners who donated food in the midst of their closures.

Penny Dinners is continuing to hand out full meals at the door of their premises. In the evening they are dropping meals to the homeless on the streets. However, no sit-down meals are being served at the facility.

Ms Twomey says that the homeless and needy feel even more vulnerable than usual at this troubling time.

"People are scared of course. The one thing that they all feel is that it is like entering in to the unknown. Nobody knows what is going to strike or who is going to be hurt by this. Everybody is genuinely concerned."

She says that the homeless are caught between a rock and a hard place at this juncture. We are being told to self isolate but they don't have that luxury.

"All of the places that they rely on to wash (their hands) the cafes and such are closed. All these places that they would normally slip in to have some kind of a wash. It is going to be hard for them to keep on top of the handwashing."

Homeless people she says are also concerned about their safety on the streets during the crisis.

"The streets are deserted at night. So there is probably the added fear of it being a ghost town. There is always the feeling that there is safety in numbers but there are no numbers now.

"People feel very vulnerable. Where is the next place that will close down? Where will they get the food from and the sleeping bags from? Where will they get a tent from?"

Ms Twomey would like to reassure members of the public that they are onsite working harder than ever.

She knows that homeless people miss chatting to their friends in Penny Dinners. Regular customers rely on the feeling of sanctuary the facility provides.

"It is emotional because you see the pain. It tugs at our heartstrings as well but we have to be very practical. We have to protect each other. We have to protect our volunteers.

"If anyone wants to come down and collect dinners they can do that. We will deliver to vulnerable people but we can't deliver to all and sundry.

"We have an 81-year-old coming to collect a dinner later because he has no food and he can't look after himself. People like that we will of course call to but for everyone else we will need them to come in for it because we wouldn't have the manpower to cover the whole lot.

"We will keep going. I promise people that."

Food donations can be made to Penny Dinners at their premises. Alternatively, donate cash at corkpennydinners.ie