The ever-increasing cost of living saw calls for support from Donegal Food Response Network (DFRN) jump by 17% between 2022 and 2023. The network is currently supporting over 650 families across the county.

Food insecurity in Donegal is more pronounced than elsewhere. The county has the second highest levels of deprivation in Ireland and is lacking in services and good public transport.

When the pandemic broke, Donegal Local Development Company (DLDC) saw the need to establish what became known as the Donegal Food Response Network (DFRN). It is made up of 21 community and voluntary organisations geographically spread all across the county that support people experiencing food poverty.

Five of the Network’s member organisations are in the Gaeltacht and none of them receive any funding from outside to support local families. Food insecurity is exacerbated in Donegal’s Gaeltacht as many families have to travel up to 35km (each way) to the nearest big supermarket.

The network believes that no-one should ever go hungry and its crucial voluntary work comes under four different UN Sustainable Development Goals. Its members have power together and are working to establish their network as an independent legal entity, to then apply for funding and to set up a permanent food hub in Donegal.

The network receives a range of supports from DLDC through the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP). It has connected the network with others. For example, DLDC now receives three tonnes of root vegetables fortnightly from FoodCloud and distributes these to network members.

W: https://donegalfoodresponse.ie/

READ: Food Poverty Q&A, page 28 of Changing Ireland’s Spring edition, available on www.changingireland.ie. For futher coverage on food poverty in Donegal, see www.changingireland.ie/food-poverty-volunteers-filling-gaps-for-state-are-heading-to-dail/