Public meeting to establish food bank in Athlone

By Rebekah O'Reilly

A date has been set for a meeting to discuss the establishment of a food bank in Athlone.

Taking place on Thursday, January 22, at 7pm in St Kieran's Community Centre, the meeting hopes to gather ideas on how the pantry should run and how to source non-perishable food items for the town’s first community-led food bank spearheaded by volunteer Lisa Malone.

With a history of community work through the annual St Kieran’s Christmas Dinner, and previously with a 2022 pop-up soup kitchen project, Lisa has long been driven by a passion for helping those in need.

"It’s sad that this service is needed. It’s about humanity. Everyone has something going on in their life, and we all need a hand at different times," Lisa said, speaking to the Westmeath Independent.

"Sometimes it’s very hard to ask for help, but if it’s a community event, people won’t feel as embarrassed, and they’ll feel more relaxed about coming to the food bank.

"I thought it’d be lovely, even if it’s only once a week, to have non-perishable food available so people could take something away to cook a dinner for their children."

For updates on the Athlone Food Bank project, keep an eye on Athlone At Its Best on Facebook.