VOLUNTEERS JOIN DCFS AMID COLD SNAP

Locals Help Meal Deliveries During Worst Snow In Over 50 Years

Providing a warm nutritious meal to the elderly and vulnerable people in Duhallow is the primary function of Duhallow Community Food Services and the reason it was first established back in 1997. When the extreme weather hit January 5th, the management and team in DCFS put out a call to the local community for help from those with 4X4 vehicles and tractors in reaching all their destinations in the locality. Their own vehicles could deliver to those living on the more main routes but they knew many roads would be more challenging and nearing impassable. The Community did not let them down.

Locals showed up with their tractors to firstly help clear the DCFS yard in Newmarket to help get the vans out, and then along each route, locals were on standby where needed. In total, meals were delivered to our elderly on 6 different routes across Duhallow using 4 tractors and 4 jeeps. Two local healthcare facilities were also reached and given supplies as they were also snowed in and running low. With some of the volunteer drivers out until 9pm on Monday evening delivering meals it really showed the strong community and neighbourly spirit that is alive in rural areas.

DCFS Staff have been working non stop to get hot meals out to the community

In addition to the regular meal, DCFS also delivered fuel and petrol for generators to some, and extra supplies such as bread and milk were also delivered to keep people going for an extra few days. 250 meals were made and delivered on Monday with all clients receiving 1 hot and 2 chilled meals to last them the 3 days leaving no one without a meal. Staff from IRD Duhallow, Lenora Kelly and Colm O’Connor rowed in alongside DCFS staff to achieve this.

The staff of DCFS must be commended for firstly making their way into work in Newmarket in such treacherous conditions and then pulling out all the stops to get meals to everyone on their list. Sincere thanks to all for their help. Thanks to Billy Dennehy, [NAMES] and Ger Roche of Cork County Council for assisting in clearing the snow from the car park. Thanks to all the following volunteers for showing up with their tractors including;

• Tim O’Donovan

• Ciara O’Donovan

• Jim O’Brien

• Denis Vaughan

• Paddy O’Donovan

• Liam Keane

• Don Curtin

• Andrew Murphy

• James Kelly

• Neily Curtin

Local Efforts Are Snow Joke!

The weight of the snow brought down a tree in the Demesne, but thanks to Cork County Council, the road was made passable.

Aisling O’Donovan prepped meals to be delivered throughout the region, including chilled meals that could be heated in case people were inaccessible

Ger Roche of Cork County Council cleaning the DCFS yard with local help from Denis Vaughan and Don Curtin in their own tractors

Stop the Cavalry! Army members were fed a warm meal in DCFS following their great work with the Cork County Council on cleaning the Boherbue to Ballydesmond road