'It is really new' - Unique 'social supermarket' to open its doors in Kildare

A new food bank with a difference is set to open in Celbridge this month, allowing people to choose the groceries they need in a bid to remove some of the stigma often associated with seeking food support.

Feed Kildare, an initiative of The Bridge Church in Celbridge, will operate as a ‘social supermarket’, where those accessing the service can browse shelves, fridges and freezers and select the food that best suits them.

The initiative has been around six months in the making and is based at The Bridge Church premises in the industrial estate behind Tesco in Celbridge.

The church provided funding to help with initial start up costs, while its existing premises offered the team the kitchen, storage and other facilities needed to get the project off the ground.

Rebecca, one of the organisers behind Feed Kildare said the idea came about after recognising the need for this type of support in the Celbridge area.

“I really was just feeling like we needed something like this in the area and it wasn't something that I'd heard of before going on in Celbridge,” she explained.

While Feed Kildare can be described as a food bank, the team hopes its social supermarket model will give people more control over the support they receive.

Rather than being handed a pre packed bag or box of groceries, visitors will be accompanied by a volunteer ‘personal shopper’ and can select the items they actually want and will use.

“We're almost going to be like a supermarket, so we've got our fridges and freezers and shelves,” she said.

“They'll come in and they'll have a personal shopper with them and they'll take them around the area and ask them what they want.

“They'll say, ‘Do you want bread? Do you want milk?’ and they'll get to actually have a choice themselves of what they want to take home with them.”

Giving people that choice is an important part of what the team hopes to achieve.

“When you present them with a box or bag of food, they might not use what is in it and you've got no choice really that way either,” she explained.

“I think it kind of takes a little bit of the dignity out of it for people. We're really trying to make it as friendly a place as possible for people to come in and be like, ‘I'm actually really welcome here’, and not feel any shame or stigma for actually accessing this service.”

Feed Kildare has taken inspiration from Feed Cork, which was established by a church in Cork around ten years ago and has since grown to support hundreds of families.

The Cork team has provided advice and assistance to those behind the new Kildare initiative as they spent the past six months preparing to open.

Alongside the supermarket, Feed Kildare will also operate a free café where people can sit down for tea, coffee and cakes.

The team hopes this will make the service about more than simply accessing food, particularly for people who may be experiencing loneliness or isolation.

“We just want it to be a place where people will enjoy being in community,” Rebecca said.

“I imagine a lot of elderly people might come to us, a lot of people that maybe are on the outskirts of society and are looking for a bit of community. They can come in, have tea and coffee and we'll have a team there that will be around looking after people.”

The team also hopes to connect visitors with other supports available throughout Kildare, with referral information available for anyone who may need further assistance.

Access to Feed Kildare will not be means tested and Rebecca said there will be no lengthy questionnaires for those seeking help.

The service will be open to anyone who feels they would benefit, with clients required to have an address in Ireland and provide proof of address when attending.

Anyone wishing to use the service can contact Feed Kildare directly to receive the relevant registration forms ahead of their first visit.

Interest in the project has already been strong, according to Rebecca, who recently attended a community organisations event at Slip Hall in Castletown.

Representatives from a range of local services expressed interest in the initiative, including Community Gardaí, organisations supporting older people, home help services, youth charities and schools.

The Feed Kildare team believes links with these organisations will be particularly important in helping to reach people who could benefit from the new service.

Feed Kildare will open every Wednesday from 10.30am until 1.30pm.

Ahead of its official opening, the team will host an open evening on Tuesday, August 18 at 7pm, when local organisations, TDs and councillors will be invited to see the social supermarket for themselves.

“We'll have the supermarket set up and we're inviting local organisations, TDs and councillors to come and have a look at what we're doing,” the organiser explained.

“It is really new to a lot of people, so it's good for people to come and see what it looks like. People can walk around, look at the set up and see who we are and what we do.”

For more information, you can visit Feed Kildare’s Facebook page.