NI cafes offering free meals to help struggling families during circuit breaker
Cafes are giving out free meals to children who would normally receive a free school dinner or families struggling during the pandemic.
It comes after footballer Marcus Rashford campaigned for free school meals to be provided in England.
The Moon and Back Café in Donaghmore decided to join in on the initiative, to help families across Northern Ireland.
Owner Elanna Arthurs said she wanted to help parents who may be struggling to provide nutritional meals for their kids.
She said “I was watching the news about how parents are struggling to feed their kids over half term in England and it just struck a chord with me that there could be kids in our local communities that either aren’t getting fed or aren’t getting the right nutritional feeding during the half term break.
“Myself and my siblings relied heavily on free school meals when we were kids, so I know how important it is to families especially to those in this current climate.
"Parents maybe have lost their jobs or universal credit is maybe not meeting the needs of the families. I know how hard it is so I just wanted to help in any way I could.”
Elanna said some families have reached out for help, and has encouraged anyone who needs help to reach out.
“The best way to get in contact with us is social media, just drop us a message on Facebook or Instagram.
“We have had several people getting in contact with us.
"The most alarming thing that’s came out of it is that when you think of a hungry child, you think of the ages around 3-10, but there has been an awful lot of teenagers getting in contact with us, they are saying we know our parents are struggling and if you could help it would take pressure off them.
"It’s great that those kids have the courage to reach out and help take the pressure off their mummies and daddies.”
Elanna also said the nutritional aspect of the meals was another key driver.
“I know so families are able to afford the frozen foods like chips and nuggets.
"But I know when they are in school, they get all the nutritional needs.
"I just wanted to make sure those families in need are getting the right nutritional hearty meals they need.
"Our vegetable supplier, Dougies Farm Shop, is offering free fresh fruit and vegetables he grows to help, so it will be organic and as fresh as possible.”
The Loaf Café on the Grosvenor Road in Belfast has also launched an initiative to help support local families over the Halloween break.
The Loaf Cafe and Bakery is a social enterprise which aims to support people with a learning difficulty and Autism into jobs and training in catering.
Pauline Fitzsimons is the Director of Operations for the Now group, she described the social enterprise as a “business with a sole or heart”.
She said the business is a commercial operation but stressed the fact that any profit made goes back into supporting people who have Autism or a learning difficulty.
Ms Fitzsimons said the organisation knew there was a need for free school lunches by working closely with people in the community.
She said: “It’s particularly important when a child is off school, and I know it’s not always down to finance, it’s actually getting that child that meal that they need every day.
“And for some people they are struggling, especially during the time of a Pandemic.
“There is a number of families who are struggling out there.
“Both financially and also just to get time to be able to think about what sort of meal they need to prepare.”
Ms Fitzsimons said parents and family members can either come into the café to pick up a packed lunch, or if they feel more comfortable, can contact the team in a more discrete way, who then can arrange for the food to be delivered.
She added: “We are overwhelmed, the number of families who have come in and located us, or sent a representative in, that has been amazing.
“But, the other side of this is the community support.
“We have had so much community support; it’s just been over whelming.
“We’ve had support from our own staff, they have been amazing, the hospital across the road, the local community and other local voluntary groups.
“Please come in, some people don’t want to feel as if they’re charity, if you don’t want to come in, if you want to send in a representative please let us know.
“If you’re really struggling, get in touch us we will arrange to get the food out to you.”
The free packed lunches are available until Friday 30th and contain a sandwich or a role, fruit, cheese, a bottle of water or a fruit juice.
To get more information about what the Moon and Back Café is offering Click here to view their Facebook Page or message their Instagram page @moonandbackcafe.
To find out more about the free packed lunches at the Loaf Café in West Belfast visit their Twitter page here.