Volunteers of Cork: Why I volunteer with Cork Penny Dinners...

THIS week, I had the chance to meet some wonderful people who volunteer in Cork Penny Dinners.

I spoke to Olive Morris, who has been volunteering for 10 years and is from Passage West; Eddie Nodwell, from Mayfield, who has been involved with Penny Dinners since retiring from Cork County Council six years ago; and Adrian Duggan, who has been volunteering for three and a half years.

As I arrived at Penny Dinners at midday on a rainy Thursday afternoon, there was a queue of people moving swiftly along. When a person got to the door, they were given a dinner wrapped up to be taken away along with a survival bag containing water, fruit, sandwiches and snacks.

The interaction was quick and brief, not just because of the pouring rain I suspect. There were individuals, young and old, there were groups and a few people in pairs. The people who use the services of Penny dinners literally are from all walks of life. Some people might be homeless, others might have jobs but struggle to afford food after paying all the bills, and some people are desperately isolated.

Inside the building, work was in full flow, in the kitchen, chefs Philippe and Tomas had been preparing hot dinners since 5.30am and as soon as the doors opened at 9am there was a constant stream of people receiving them through the door.

Outside the kitchen, there was a small army of volunteers making sandwiches and packing the survival bags. They not only feed people who come to the door, but they also do deliveries to the homes of people who perhaps can’t come into town for many different reasons.

In all cases, the clients are treated with dignity and respect. It’s clear that there is no judgement of anyone who comes to Penny Dinners, no matter the circumstances that bring people there. It’s a place of pure kindness and empathy.

Here, three volunteers tell us about their work there...

Eddie Nodwell

“When I retired in 2017, I was looking for something to get involved with because people often said to me when you retire it can be very hard to get used to retirement.

“I retired in November and in March I came in here and asked Caitriona what could I do to help. She asked me what days I could do and I said I could two days and I started coming in here on Monday and Thursday. I thought I’d do it for a year initially and here I am six and half years later, still here.

I enjoy it and I look forward to coming in here. I do a bit of everything, you have no specific job, you do whatever is needed, you could be peeling potatoes or making sandwiches.

“I find it enjoyable coming here. I’ve made friends with a lot of people here who I wouldn’t have known before. And that’s part of why I like coming in, your working with good people and becoming friends with them.

“In here, you’re doing something good for people who are less well off than yourself, so it’s a really good thing that you’re doing.

“You don’t want anything in return for it, you’re just helping someone out who needs a bit of help.

Some people who come in here for a cup of tea might not have seen anyone else since they were in here the day before, so people can be really isolated.

“If I wasn’t in here, I might have taken up golf but I didn’t bother in the end. I’m involved in the men’s shed in Mayfield too so before I know it the week is gone.

“I’ve seven grandkids and I’m heading for 72 now and I enjoy the live I have at the moment. I couldn’t ask for a better life.”

Adrian Duggan

“I got involved when I was mountain climbing a few years ago with lads who were involved here. I’m based in the Penny Dinners warehouse where we make hampers constantly, we have a core team of about six people and we could often make up 80 hampers which would be delivered the following day.

“Some people might feel ashamed coming in here and they would be standing back outside but we have specific training to deal with sensitive situations. I recently had a person who was standing back and I could tell they needed more than just food. I brought him in and had a chat with him and in the space of a few minutes the person was nearly breaking down because they had nothing and needed someone to listen to them and give them support in any way possible.

“I deliver dinners too, between 12-2pm, along with hampers, across the whole city. All in all, we could be supporting over 1,000 people on some days.

“We have English classes to help people who arrive in Ireland and need help with learning the English language.

We recently had a play put on by some of the volunteers, including the High Hopes choir group, and it was produced with the help of Marion Wyatt and performed in our new James Street location.

“A huge thing is the ability to be able to simply talk with someone, and more importantly to be able to listen to someone. A problem shared is a problem halved and we might only help a person a small bit by listening, but that small bit goes a long way to helping someone get back on their feet. ‘Open you ears and keep your mouth closed’ is a motto we try to follow a lot when helping people.

“The friendship we have in here is a huge factor in why I keep coming back.”

Olive Morris

“The need has become huge. The poor have become poorer and now we have another group of poor people who maybe weren’t poor before. Some people might have given us donations before, and now they’re using our services and this shows how bad the situation is.

“The cost of living and the cost of housing are huge factors in driving people to the doors of Penny Dinners. People who have ordinary jobs are coming in to get hampers because they have to pay their bills, gas, electricity, rent or mortgage, childcare, and there is nothing left over. The government have a lot to answer for in relation to these points.

We never turn anyone away. The hot food might be finished by 3pm but if someone comes after that, we would always offer them whatever we have, be it sandwiches, survival bags or even a cup of tea.

“We talk to people too, because people don’t only come for food, they come for support in different ways. People might need help in reading or understanding a form, or guidance on how to apply for some scheme or initiative.

“We give out clothes, tents and sleeping bags too. We have a real mix of people including students who, after they pay for rent, simply don’t have additional funds.

“We get great donations from people, restaurants and businesses. We have one elderly man who comes in and brings one little bag to donate and it might have butter and sugar, but that bag is as important as everything else that comes in.

When I ask Olive why she keeps coming back to Penny Dinners, she replies with a joke: ‘Because Caitriona would kill me if I don’t come in!”

It’s clear there is a great camaraderie between Olive, Eddie and Adrian, and also between all the volunteers who are busy working away, keeping a smiling eye on us as we chat away in the corner of the room.

Even though what we are discussing shines a light on a serious problem in Cork city, the interview is full of laughter and fun. To end our interview Eddie is persuaded by everyone present to sing a song, which he does wonderfully, supported by three delightful backing singers.

As I chat with Catriona in the kitchen, all the volunteers have returned to their work and Adrian is running out the door to deliver parcels and hampers across the city.

I leave full of admiration for these people who are giving their energy and time to those less fortunate. It’s clear to see these volunteers are very much making a difference to people who desperately need it.

For more on the services of Penny Dinners see http://corkpennydinners.ie/