SKIBBEREEN Community and Family Resource Centre (SCFRC) has recorded a 40% increase in the number of people availing of weekly Food Cloud boxes.

Jonathan Louks of SCFRC said they are reaching out to local businesses to help increase the nutritional value of these boxes by providing more fresh vegetables and protein sources to balance the reliance on processed foods.

Once a week, after the Food Cloud delivery, boxes of surplus food, mainly non-perishable goods, are made up by staff at the centre.

Those interested in the Food Cloud boxes must first fill out an application form, which will be dealt with in the strictest of confidence. ​The only criteria are that the applicant must live in Skibbereen, or the surrounding area, and be on social welfare.

Once approved, the applicant, whether they are single, part of a couple, or a family, can collect the box which can add three nutritional meals per week.

Jonathan said there is roughly €25 worth of food in each box and SCFRC has seen a 40% increase in the first 15 weeks of the year compared to 2025.

‘This isn’t a huge amount,’ he said, ‘but a lot of the people we are seeing are struggling financially, so that €25 is a huge amount towards their weekly shopping.’

On an average week, the centre distributes about 30 boxes, but last Christmas the demand was inordinate with 135 boxes provided in the three weeks leading up to Christmas.

​At present, there are more 40 families and individuals on the approved supply list, but that number is increasing all the time and could be as high as 50 in a matter of weeks.

Jonathan believes the 40% increase in demand is probably due to the horrendous increase in the cost of living, the hike in fuel and heating costs, and the economic turmoil caused by the war in Iran.

The Skibbereen Family Resource Centre, which is directly across from the courthouse in North Street, is the distribution hub for Food Cloud.

As a non-government organisation, Food Cloud works to address food wastage and food insecurity by providing surplus food to communities who can use it.

The scheme is made possible through donations made by huge national supermarkets, but Jonathan said local supermarkets, such as Field’s, are currently supporting the initiative by providing 25 loaves of bread each week.

‘One of the challenges of Food Cloud is trying to ensure that the food boxes contain a good balance of nutrition and enough separate elements to prepare a couple of simple meals,’ he said.

‘And in order to do that we are reaching out to local businesses to help us increase the nutritional value of each weekly box​.’

​Businesses can deliver directly to the centre at North Street, or call and arrange to have the food items, or indeed hygiene products, collected.

Jonathan said anyone who would like to avail of the scheme or any of the other services provided at the centre would be welcome to phone 028 23572, or call in person.

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