We had a moment of real worry tonight on the food run. Watching the queue stretch out at the end, we were very uneasy and genuinely thought we would run short. Luckily looking down on us, we went right down to the 299th meal and no one was left without food. Every single person was fed, even though the tables were quite crowded tonight.
As we repeat every week, we set down a food layout across our five tables with all kinds of meals and what we saw very apparently tonight was the sheer amount of people looking for sleeping bags. Being going into our 11th year out there, we know that there is going to be a huge need for sleeping bags. People prefer to sleep on the streets in the summer rather than being at the hostels, because they feel unsafe in some of them.
What shattered our hearts the most this week, however, was the visible surge in gender-based violence. We saw a deeply concerning increase in the number of women on the streets, women who, for whatever reason, find themselves lost in life and vulnerable to its harshest elements. The physical toll was devastating to see: bruises and cuts on faces that no one should ever have to bear. It is incredibly hard to take when you realize the sheer scale of what they are going through.
That being said, all we can do is give them a little bit of support. We give them the correct information, what is needed for them, a listening ear, and some food and comfort. The truth is, we absolutely cannot continue to do this without you.
If you would like to support our soup run and help us keep showing up for those who have nowhere else to turn, please consider donating.
msoe.ie/index.php/component/…. Every bit helps us keep the tables full and the support flowing. Thank you for standing with us.