Cork City FC food appeal for Cork Penny Dinners

Cork City FC is to launch a food appeal in aid of one of Cork’s oldest charities. Cork Penny Dinners, which has been running since the 1840s will be the beneficiary of the appeal on a very busy week of fixtures.

Cork City faced Gianfranco Zola’s Watford in a friendly match on Tuesday night and then a Manchester United XI on Wednesday night. They drew 2-2 away to league leaders Sligo Rovers at the weekend.

They will face old rivals Shelbourne in an important Airtricity League match this Friday 27 July.

Supporters are asked to bring one item of non-perishable food to Turner’s Cross in order to help Penny Dinners feed the 1,000 people now availing of their meal service in return for a small coin each week.

Cork Penny Dinners has been caring for the citizens of Cork since the 1840s but has seen demand for its meals grow from feeding 120 people a week just a couple of years ago to the seven-days a week service it has become today.

The charity is particularly seeking: washing machine powder, tin foil, cling film, gravy granules, custard powder, coffee, tea, sugar and diluted orange - though any non-perishable food items or vouchers from any supermarket in Cork will also be accepted.

“Our service is run entirely by volunteers,” Florence Harrison of Cork Penny Dinners explained. “We don’t ask questions and we feed anyone that comes to our premises at 4, Little Hanover Street.

“Until now 99.5 per cent of the people coming to us have been men. Now we’re seeing people who were self employed and used to run a businesses in the good times but don’t get a social welfare payment as well as women and children, especially at weekends.”

Tickets for the game against Shelbourne are available from the Club Shop in Douglas Village Shopping Centre, online from Ticketmaster.ie and will also be available outside the ground on the night as long as the match hasn't sold out ahead of time.

Non-perishable food items and vouchers will also be accepted at the club shop in Douglas throughout the week.