By Sarah Mac Donald - 15 November, 2013
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin at Crosscare’s Food Bank. Photo: John McElroy
Crosscare, the social care agency of the archdiocese of Dublin has not been able to keep up with the demand for food from people in need all over the capital, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has warned.
Highlighting the empty shelves in the agency’s Food Bank, the Archbishop appealed to parishes and retailers to help replenish the stocks of Crosscare’s Food Bank which has been struggling to cope with increased demand from families hurt by the recession.
Speaking after he had launched the ‘Diocesan Crosscare Food Appeal’ at the Pro Cathedral in Dublin on Thursday, the Archbishop said that despite the country’s ongoing economic challenges, Ireland was still a wealthy society.
“A wealthy society always runs the risk of not seeing or of not fully grasping the shadows and the inequities around us”, he said in his homily at a Mass for the Feast of St Laurence O’Toole, which he concelebrated with Bishops Eamon Walsh and Ray Field as well as scores of priests from the diocese.
Last week, Crosscare was only able to provide 40 food parcels to one community when 120 parcels were needed. “The shelves of the food bank are empty, the food is not there” the Archbishop, who made a special visit to the Crosscare centre on Thursday morning, told reporters.
Last year the Crosscare Food Bank gave out 500 tonnes of foodstuffs but already this year, they have delivered 750 tonnes to families and other charities, such as the Society of St Vincent de Paul and Meels on Wheels, which look after the less well off.
“The Church’s task is to mobilise our communities in response,” he said and explained that parishioners will be able to help rebuild Crosscare’s food stocks by bringing food supplies to their local parish at weekend Mass and Crosscare will organise to collect and redistribute the food every Monday and Tuesday.
The types of food urgently needed include pasta/rice, fruit juice, tea/coffee, soup, sugar, powdered milk, tinned meat/fish, tinned veg/fruit, packaged dessert, biscuits, and hygiene products.
The Crosscare food appeal will take place over the four weeks of Advent, beginning on 1 December, although Archbishop Martin said he hoped that it would go on longer until the Food Bank is replenished.
Noting that there are a number of large retail outlets which are not part of the Food Bank’s donation scheme, the Archbishop urged “those businesses that have disposable food to join in.”
“St Laurence O’Toole was renowned for his service to the poor, a service which touched every aspect of his life, opening his own heart and indeed his cathedral to provide food and shelter to the poor,” the Archbishop said.
He also drew attention to the diocesan collection this Sunday, the proceeds of which will go towards humanitarian relief work in Syria and the Philippines.
