‘Famine Food Bank’ Installation Shines Spotlight on Food Poverty in Ireland
To shine a spotlight on Ireland’s rampant food poverty rates, food charity Little Flower Penny Dinners has teamed up with creative agency In the Company of Huskies, drawing attention to the issue of food poverty with their latest campaign entitled ‘Famine Food Bank’.
In the lead up to St Patrick’s Day, Huskies installed a non-functional food bank in front of the most powerful symbol of hunger in Irish history,the famous Famine Memorial, where people could donate a plate of food to Little Flower using a QR code. Situated in Dublin City Docklands, the Famine statues provide a stark reminder of the Irish Potato famine – the most profound disaster in Irish history, when more than one million people died and a million more emigrated.
Despite the notion that hunger was something that Ireland left behind way back in the 1800s, food poverty is still a huge, yet almost hidden problem in modern-day Ireland. 173 years later and Ireland is still hungry. Over 100,000 children go to bed hungry every night, 20% of parents regularly skip meals to feed their families and the demand for food help increased by 70% during Covid. As the cost of living soars in Ireland, these numbers are only set to skyrocket.
Serving food to those most in need since 1912, Little Flower Penny Dinners is committed to giving support, service and a place of welcome through providing 1,500 meals a week, every week.
The campaign launches this week with a key image and a video online and on socials.
Damian Hanley, Creative Director, In the Company of Huskies said:
“The great hunger didn’t just happen in 1847. It happens at 18:47 every night. 100,000 children go to bed hungry. This famine statue is such an amazing memorial, but this idea shows that hunger is not a memory for many people.”
Ruth Harkness, Manager, Little Flower Penny Dinners adds:
“I don’t think the wider population even realise how extreme the hunger issue is, and it’s continually getting worse. We can see it just by the sheer number of calls and visits to our door. People are trying their best, but still face huge dilemmas every day – do I eat, or do I heat the house? Money just isn’t stretching, and families don’t have enough food to put on the table, never mind school books. If Little Flower didn’t exist, I just don’t know what they’d do.”
‘We’re a nation of givers, and are known worldwide for this. So we wanted to call out at a moment when we’re all feeling so proud to be Irish, in the hope that people will extend their generosity to those around them who really need it.”
The date of the activation was no coincidence. Little Flower wanted to capture the attention of the Irish public, and even people around the world, at a time when Irish pride is at the forefront of everyone’s mind in the lead up to St Patrick’s Day.
Link to Image: https://we.tl/t-4l7765DXJu
Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_QKcCmYg1g
NOTES TO EDITOR:
For information and resources relating to the press release, please contact Lily Paskin; lilyp@lbbonline.com
About Little Flower Penny Dinners:
Founded in 1912, Little Flower Penny Dinners has been feeding those in need in Dublin 8 and beyond for over a hundred years. As well as over 1,500 meals a week, they provide those in need with support, service and a place of welcome. Maintaining an atmosphere of care, compassion and understanding is key, and regardless of who walks in the door, their dignity will always be respected.
In addition to take away meals (currently awaiting govt. Guidance on when to open their doors for the drop-in meals), they also offer a meals-on-wheels service for the eldery and vulnerable, which is run completely with the help of a team of dedicated volunteers.
The Little Flower Penny Dinners was established in 1912. It was set up by the parish and local community in response to the high levels of poverty in the area and to provide food for those in need.
The charity was named in honour of our patron St Thèrese of Lisieux, widely known as the Little Flower; and started with donations from local parishioners of one penny per week. Hence the name The Little Flower Penny Dinners.
In the Company of Huskies:
In the Company of Huskies is a leading independent creative agency with deep digital DNA that creates compelling brand campaigns and transformational results for brands and businesses.
The Key Facts:
Stats:
- 100,000 children go to bed hungry at night in Ireland.
Source: Irish Youth Foundation
- The demand for food help increased by 70% as a result of Covid.
Source: Foodcloud
- 1 in 4 parents worry about not being able to feed their children.
Source: Barnardos
- 20% of parents have skipped meals to feed their family.
Source: Barnardos
- 1 in 5 children are living in poverty.
Source: Irish Youth Foundation
- 77% of people claim the rising cost of living is causing mental health issues.
Source: Sinn Fein Report
- 17% of people have cut back on food to pay their bills.
Source: SVP
- Low-income families need to spend 1/3 of their weekly income to afford healthy food.
Source: Safefood
- Almost 13% of the population are at risk of poverty.
Source: Safefood
- Since 2020, the demand for one foodbank grew from 30 families a week, to 300.
Source: Bluebell Community Development Project
CREDITS:
Agency: In the Company of Huskies
Creative Director: Damian Hanley
Senior Art Director: Laura Rice
Senior Copywriter: Aoife McCleary
Senior Producer: Laura Cronin
Account Director: Fiona Cunniffe
Head of Planning & Behavioural Science: Niamh Murphy
Director of Social, Search & Performance Media: David Hayes
Senior Social Media Specialist: Mark Folens
Designers: Nicole McMahon & Chris Flynn
Account Executive: Paddy McKenzie
Photographer: Al Higgins
Videographers: Jar Finnegan and Looky Here
Client: Little Flower Penny Dinners
General Manager: Ruth Harkness