Every year, kind-hearted volunteers provide dinner to hundreds of poor and homeless people around Dublin. This year several charities are set to continue this tradition by hosting pop up mobile kitchens and food banks.
Here are all the organisations and groups around Dublin who are planning on hosting soup kitchen, pop up kitchen or food bank over December and the Christmas period:
Dublin Simon Community - Soup Run
The Soup Run operates 365 days of the year with more than 100 volunteers delivering support on Dublin’s streets.
Today’s Soup Run is modelled on the work of the founding volunteers of Dublin Simon Community who began delivering soup, sandwiches and support to Dublin’s homeless population in 1969.
Today, more than 100 part-time volunteers walk the streets in all weather offering soup, sandwiches, tea and a friendly face to people sleeping rough on Dublin’s streets.
This service is funded by donations and our Soup Run volunteers are often the first point of contact for people experiencing homelessness. This service creates a link into homelessness support services, a first step in rebuilding lives.
The Muslim Sisters of Éire (MSOE)
The Muslim Sisters of Éire run a soup kitchen with hot meals every Friday evening outside the GPO, and have prepared their highest count yet with 570 meals for the homeless.
The charity has spent €400 on hats, scarves, gloves and socks this week in preparation for one night's soup run.
They have also spent €2,000 on sleeping bags, some of which will also be given out to those sleeping rough this weekend.
“There will be extra sleeping bags going in tonight,” said Lorraine O’Connor, founder of the MSOE. The soup run will start every Friday night outside the GPO from 6pm.
“Our team has been there for seven years so they are prepped and will make sure everybody who is in need of a hat, gloves, scarves will be given some.
“We have the highest count tonight, 570 hot meals are going down,” she said, which will include chicken curry, stew, pizza, falafel burgers, biryani and hot soup with bread.
This Christmas, the Muslim Sisters of Éire are running a 'Bags for Life’ fundraiser to create 200 bags of essential supplies to hand out to the homeless on Christmas Eve.
Fifty volunteers from the charity will hand out the bags which will include a tent, sleeping bag, blanket, socks, gloves, scarf, hygiene kit and protein bar for those sleeping rough.
Knights of St. Columbanus
The Knights of St. Columbanus intends to hold the 98th Christmas Day Dinner for the poor and homeless, at the RDS this year.
Simultaneously, the Knights of St. Columbanus will also dispatch 3,400+ pre-prepared Christmas dinners and goodie bags from the RDS as they have done for many years. These meals are collected and delivered to needy homes by partner charities such as St. Vincent de Paul, Alone, Age Action, Simon, Dublin City Council, McVerry Trust, and others.
Over the last 98 years, the Knights of St Columbanus have provided Christmas Day dinner to over 3,400 people through sit down meals and a home delivery service for the homeless and those in need in our community. This has been possible by the valuable contribution and assistance of over 250 volunteers and the financial support of generous donors.
Feed Our Homeless
Feed Our Homeless operate a soup kitchen service three times weekly every Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evening outside Bank of Ireland across from Trinity college from 7.00pm to 10.30pm.
Their team of volunteers provide hot food, sandwiches, hot drinks, chocolate, treats, etc to people and families affected by homelessness. They also provide warm clothing such as underwear hats, gloves, sleeping bags and toiletry packs.
They have an onsite team who offer advice and support to service users.
Their team advocates on behalf of our service users who present to the soup kitchen by linking them to emergency services.
Feed Our Homeless provides an onsite team who offer assistance by providing information to outside services.
The Mustard Seed Project (MSP)
The Mustard Seed Project is an outreach service of Trinity Church that provides warm food and clothing to Dublin's homeless people every night. We work routes across the Dublin area meeting both regulars and those who are newly homeless. You will find them by keeping a look out for bright red hi-vis jackets!
What Can I Do To Help?
There are many ways in which you can support Secret Street Tours. You can take one of our tours here to experience Dublin alongside one of our fantastic guides. You can support us by making a donation or make a regular donation by becoming a patron here.
Sharing our Tours with friends and family or on social media is another great way to spread the word about the work we are doing.
We would like to also say a huge thank you for your ongoing support and contributions.
Resources to Educate Yourself, Donate or Volunteer
Written by Molly Hunt 18th December 2022
