'If people can’t make ends meet, the system isn’t working': Penny Dinners providing packed lunches to families

THE head of a Cork charity has opened up about how they are meeting parents at the school gates to supply packed lunches following urgent calls for assistance.

Caitríona Twomey, of soup kitchen charity Cork Penny Dinners, said that some parents have been left with no option but to phone them mere hours before the school run.

Some of the families she has been dealing with are hesitant to reach out until their children are at risk of becoming hungry.

Ms Twomey explained that many of the callers have opted to meet her at the school gates to avoid drawing attention at their own residence.

She added that the majority of the families seeking school lunches are from affluent areas.

“The schools they are attending wouldn’t have Deis status which means that lunches aren’t supplied the same as in other areas.

“The question people always ask is if the parents ringing us are unemployed. You’d be surprised to learn that this isn’t the case but most of them are crippled by high rents and mortgages.

“Commuting and travel costs are also working out to be a huge cost for people. It’s expensive and an added burden.

“The families ringing us are in a dreadful state of worry. We have to try and protect them. We always tell them we’ll get working on it straight away.”

She blamed the cost-of-living crisis for the surge in calls.

“If a family can’t put together a breakfast or school lunch because of hardship then it’s a sad society we are living in. 

"The message we are trying to send out to the Government is that if people can’t make ends meet, the system isn’t working.”

Ms Twomey said she meets with people from all walks of life.

“One family comes all the way from North Cork to prepare school lunches for their children for the week ahead. Some mornings we make up rolls. 

"A few parents will come in the day before and we’ll give them a few items such as juice or a banana or apple.

"When people had the money before, rents weren’t as bad. Now, we have two parents who can’t afford to bring their children to a restaurant or the cinema at the weekend.”

She spoke about how children’s lives are being devastated by the cost-of-living crisis.

“Parents are at their wits end. They’ll often say they’re sorry for calling us but we don’t want them to apologise. We always remind them that this is what we are here for. The last thing we want is to see children suffer. 

"There is a lot of outlay this time of year and it is really sad to think of the children out there who have to miss out on afterschool activities because of poverty”.