On The Breadline: ‘Some people don’t see anyone all day apart from our delivery team’
The meals-on-wheels service run by the Strathfoyle Community Association brings more than just food, reports Thomas Kingsley
Jeff Simpson out on the delivery round
/ ESCompositerom 8am to 3pm, five days a week for more than 14 years, Jeff Simpson has been the chef and engine behind the food distribution service of the Strathfoyle Community Association, providing meals to some of the poorest residents in the area.
“People don’t want anything fancy,” Mr Simpson said. “They just want a basic hot meal every day and they’ll be happy, but they can’t even afford that.”
Strathfoyle Community Association delivers hot food to older people in the Strathfoyle and Maydown areas of Northern Ireland. They provide a meals-on-wheels service to more than 35 vulnerable residents, a number that rises when pressure intensifies due to the soaring cost of living.
The charity is one of the organisations we will be seeking to fund in our On the Breadline Christmas Appeal in partnership with Comic Relief. Research by the Food Foundation think-tank found one million adults go an entire day without eating a meal due to the cost-of-living crisis.
Mr Simpson, a chef by trade, said: “A lot of people we work with are vulnerable and they are not capable of making meals themselves and don’t have anyone to help them. The dinners make a big difference, also because some people don’t see anyone all day, so at least they see us when we deliver the meals.”
Mr Simpson added that the association is on a tight budget, which is especially challenging as the price of ingredients soars. A major concern is that if they raise meal prices or charge a delivery fee, some of the elderly and vulnerable might be forced to cancel the service, which could negatively impact their health.
Rachel Barr, a spokeswoman for the association, said: “For some of our users, this is their only hot daily meal. The cost of diesel for our vehicle has almost doubled. We do not charge a delivery fee but this price rise is hitting our finances.”
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Donate to Comic ReliefMs Barr said the association has seen a rise in the number of residents it supports and also serves as a referral agent for the Foyle Foodbank. She added that the scale of the cost-of-living crisis meant a growing number of people are in need.
“We have seen a rise in numbers, but as we only have one chef, we have a limited number we can cater for. Funding from your appeal would be vital in enabling us to continue providing our meals on wheels service to the elderly.”