Capuchin centre reports ‘massive increase’ in numbers seeking Christmas food hampers

The Capuchin Day Centre in Dublin, which provides meals and other services to people in need, has reported a significant increase in the numbers seeking vouchers for Christmas food hampers.

The centre, on Bow Street in Smithfield, on Wednesday distributed vouchers to people who will collect their food hampers next week.

"Between 6am-12pm today we gave out 2,600 vouchers," the centre's manager Alan Bailey said, adding that it would normally give out "about 2,000" tickets. "It's the first year ever that this has happened. It's a massive increase on previous years."

He said the numbers were in line with the additional demand the centre has experienced since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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People are not allowed inside the centre to eat meals at present due to coronavirus concerns but staff have continued providing take-away meals to those in need. The centre has also had to suspended the provision of showering facilities, clothing and haircuts because of Covid-19.

“Normally we give out 550 dinners or so a day, but that’s gone up to 700 now since the start of the pandemic,” Mr Bailey said.

Regarding the crowds that gathered in a long queue on Wednesday morning, Mr Bailey said he had “never seen anything like it”. The centre had planned to continue distributing tickets on Thursday and Friday.

The hampers will be available to collect for those who have vouchers next Tuesday morning. The doors will open at about 8am and long queues of people are expected to arrive to collect fresh and dry food for the Christmas period.

Separately, the Knights of St Columbanus, which organises an annual Christmas Day dinner for homeless people and others who are struggling, will not be hosting an in-person event this year.

The dinner has in previous years taken place at the RDS in Dublin and was usually attended by more than 400 people. Those in attendance are usually given a three-course traditional Christmas dinner and toys are handed out to children.

The event is now in its 97th year but due to the pandemic situation the organisers have said they will not be in a position to host the usual sit-down dinner.

Instead, the Knights of St Columbanus will operate a pop-up mobile kitchen outside the Mansion House on Dawson Street on Christmas Day, between 10am and 1pm, where traditional meals will be available to take away.