‘I am appealing for children’s lunchables for that school surge coming in September’

A FOOD bank founder from Trim has spoken of the huge demand for help from struggling families in lockdown.

Ashling Lowe who has been operating the Meath Food Bank since 2014 has revealed that her team has offered assistance to approximately 3,500 people in the county since the first lockdown in March 2020 delivering up to twenty hampers a day to families in need at the height of the pandemic.

Despite supermarket shelves being cleared, volunteers dwindling and donations falling at a rapid rate, the mum of one says she always knew the food bank would survive due to the generosity of local people. She added:

“I’d say we have helped around three and a half thousand people in all sorts of different circumstances since the pandemic hit.

“You couldn’t comprehend how busy it got. We were delivering fifteen to twenty hampers a day.

“People were coming to us who were never out of work and who were never in that position before.

“In March of last year when it all kicked off it was just a nightmare, it wasn’t that people weren’t giving, everyone was giving vouchers but then we had the greedy spell where everyone was clearing the shelves in the shops, I couldn’t stock the food bank for love nor money.

“I was lucky that there was a lot of businesspeople who had cash and carry cards and they were able to go in and buy in bulk and help me.

“Because I had a lot of volunteers scared in the pandemic, I lost a lot of them as they were afraid to deliver food to houses.

“I’ve worked with the Red Cross from day one and they were just amazing during this time helping me, we don’t know how lucky we are to have them in county Meath.”

Ashling says she was horrified at people who were panic buying and clearing shelves leaving nothing for the most vulnerable who only wanted the basics.

“When people were panic buying and supermarkets were opening earlier from 7am or 8am come Friday when the elderly people went out to pick up their pension at 9am and went to do their shopping there was nothing left.

“There were a lot of elderly people very upset because they couldn’t get what they needed.”

Life has somewhat returned to normality, but many families will be struggling as back to school time returns in the coming weeks according to the Trim woman who is appealing for donations of items that can be used for lunches.

“The people in Meath are so good natured, the people are very willing to roll up their sleeves and help in any way that they can.

“So many of our service users donate back when they can, and it is so humbling and an emotional thing for me and the volunteers.

“So many families depend on our service. A lot of people will say we are managing with what we have but we are really struggling with school lunches.

“I am appealing for children’s lunchables for school because I know I’m going to have a surge in that in September.”

Ashling who now splits her time between her role as a catering assistant in a nursing home and the food bank says she continues the plight of the service “because it is needed” and to also keep herself busy after a difficult number of years first losing her dad and then her younger brother Martin earlier this year. She added:

“Unfortunately, Martin had a drug problem and it got worse after my father died.

“He never got over my father’s death, he went to sleep and never woke up.

“He was 28 and had his whole life ahead of him and we loved him very much. He was my father’s pet. He couldn’t function after my dad passed away.

“With lockdown it was so hard to get him help, and we tried everything to get him help. He tried to clean his act up himself then I think he had one slip up and that was enough to bring on seizures when he was asleep.

“Even though we were heartbroken that he passed away, we took comfort knowing he was now with dad. It has been hard, we have been through the ringer as a family, but I know that wherever my father and Martin is, they are watching over me.

“I just try and keep myself busy and do the best I can for people who need some help.

“Everybody has their calling in life, and I feel that helping people and looking after vulnerable people is my calling.”

Every year Ashling and her team walk from Meath to Dublin to raise money for soup runs with the last event raising over €14,000. This year’s “Walk for the Homeless” will take place on Sunday 7th November and sponsored walkers are being asked to come on board for the day.