‘Seemingly well to do working families struggling’

The cost of living crisis is hitting families hard, says food poverty activist

The founder of a local food poverty charity is receiving more and more calls from seemingly “well to do” working families struggling to feed their children due to the cost of living.

The Ken Smollen Food Appeal supports around 1,200 households in Westmeath and neighbouring counties, and Mr Smollen said that for the first time in five years the number of food donations from communities across the region is not enough to meet the needs of the families he helps.

“I had 31 teams across Offaly, Laois and Westmeath where people can donate food, but it reduced dramatically. Now I am getting calls for help from people who used to donate food.

“For the last three or four years, I never had to purchase food, as we had enough through donations – but now more food is going out than coming in.

“About 10 days ago, I had to order a supply that cost in excess of €10,000 as more and more people are coming forward. Thankfully people donate to us through the credit union, and that makes it possible to buy food in those amounts.

“I will have to put in a similar order in as little as six weeks’ time,” he said.

The rise in the cost of living has plunged many families into poverty for the first time, Mr Smollen says. “I am amazed at some of the people coming forward. You’d never dream they would need help. In their own communities they would be seen as well to do, but they don’t have two cents to rub together.”

Mr Smollen has been delivering food packages to hard-up midlands families since 2016. He says that the constant worry about whether you have enough food to feed your family has a major affect on people’s mental wellbeing.

“It is absolutely shocking. I have had to give leaflets to some people that provide information about where they can get help. I have no doubt that some people will take the ultimate way out as they don’t see any way in the future for themselves. It is hard for them to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

“People feel so ashamed and embarrassed even though they have done nothing wrong. They feel that they have let their families down.”

With inflation set to continue to rise, Mr Smollen is worried that the crisis is going to get worse in the winter months. He says the government need to do a lot more to ease the burden on families who are struggling to make ends meet.

“They are not doing anywhere near enough. Telling people to contact their social welfare office if they are struggling with fuel costs shows how removed from reality those people are.

“They need to get out and talk to people instead of hiding behind closed doors. It’s frightening to see what people are going through,” he said.