Soup kitchen open to all

A SOUP kitchen is to be established in Ennis in the coming weeks, The Clare Champion can reveal. The facility will also offer limited accommodation to those in need, including women escaping abusive relationships, when it opens in September on the Clare Road.

 

Oliver Williams, founder of Twist Soup Kitchens, has already opened a number of the kitchens across the country.

The Ennis kitchen has been facilitated by the Hope Assembly, who have provided the building across from the former Francie Daly’s garage.

According to Mr Williams, he is bringing the soup kitchen to Ennis following requests from local people. “We will be offering free food to anybody that’s in need and limited accommodation spaces for people who are homeless. We are forming an amalgamation with the Hope Assembly, who have very kindly provided us with the building and everything we need.

“I decided to set up here in Ennis in response to the people of Ennis. I have had many, many calls from the people of Ennis. Like every town in Ireland there is a homeless issue and there is a poverty issue. The problem is there, some people don’t want to admit it but it’s there,” he said.

It is planned to have the soup kitchen open from 10am to 4pm. The accommodation will be available 24 hours a day for those in need, including women affected by domestic violence. Mr Williams said this facility will be a “safe place” for women looking for emergency accommodation.

Mr Williams believes the soup kitchen is something that is badly needed given the state of the economy, adding that from his experience, women are among those most affected by the collapse. He is encouraging those in need to seek help and not be embarrassed at visiting a soup kitchen.

“Single mothers with kids are the hardest hit but they are also the least likely to come into a soup kitchen for all sorts of reasons. I suppose the word soup kitchen is associated with the Famine and all that. It’s a pride thing and I find that when they get over that and come in, they realise it’s fine. We endeavour to get the message out there that this is there for the people. There is no need to be embarrassed, it’s free and it’s good.

“There are women with kids who might be coping ok and then they get an electricity bill and it cripples them, or their kids are going back to school. It’s a difficult time and I see a lot of people struggling with their mortgages and in extreme occasions they don’t know what to do and they’re putting their mortgages before food and their bills. It’s shocking,” he said.

Mr Williams said while the kitchen has yet to be opened, he is delighted with the level of support he has already received locally.

“There has been lots of offers of help and support from lots of volunteers who want to get involved. I’m very happy with the response so far. I’m pretty sure this is a service that will be well taken up. We’re in towns like Ennis already so I kind of know the feel of these towns and I know the feedback from people,” he said.

He emphasised that the soup kitchen is very much about community, adding that it is not just for the homeless. “Anybody can come in. Maybe old people who might be lonely, they can come in and have a cup of tea, read the paper and have a chat. This isn’t just about hunger, that’s part of it but this is about getting involved with the community and sharing and talking.

“We have seven soup kitchens now with plans to open two more in the coming months. They are very much becoming community based projects. I get them open and I try and hand them over to the community and let them run them,” he concluded.

More information on the soup kitchen is available by contacting Mr Williams on 087 7773845.