St Patrick's Athletic have announced that they have opened their Richmond Park home in order to supply food supplies to the local area.
The Inchicore club, alongside Frontline Make Change and Dublin South City , will put together food packs in order to aid those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The club, through their Community Officer David Morrissey, were already working in tandem with sponsors to provide meals to frontline workers. According to Morrissey, the decision to help was a "no brainer".
Morrissey added: "Since the COVID-19 crisis began we have been in constant communication with other community groups in order to see how we as a football club could best serve the people of Inchicore at this time. When we were approached by Frontline and when it became clear during discussions that the provision of food parcels locally was a necessity, we were delighted to be able to help to make this a reality.
"Richmond Park has unfortunately been closed for the past number of weeks, so as a club we thought, why wouldn't we use our facilities as a hub to ensure the provision of food to those in need locally."
Project Director of Frontline Make Change, Stuart Fraser, stated that the coronavirus has directly impacted the ability of Frontline Make Change to continue their work in the community. In order to adapt to the situation, they contacted Pat's in order to allow them to help more of society's vulnerable.
The agreement will allow for a food bank to be set up in Richmond Park, with deliveries of food parcels a vehicle to check on people who are cocooning or those who are at risk.
St Patrick's Athletic issuing a call out to all supporters and those in the local community to make donations of various products which are in demand at this time, such as tinned food, pasta, rice and other essentials. Donations can be dropped at the archway beside 125 Emmet Road at Richmond Park between 12pm and 2pm on Saturdays or from 2pm to 4pm on Mondays and Tuesdays.
All donations by parties are to be made while following all social distancing and government guidelines, while arrangement will be made to ensure these protocols are being followed. Businesses and organisations interested in making a donation are encouraged to email [email protected] to express their interest.
Furthermore, People wishing to pass on referrals of individuals or families who may need additional support can contact Frontline on 01 4736502 or email [email protected].
