Kilkenny company is helping to Feed the Heroes

A simple idea to order a few pizzas to show gratitude and support for frontline healthcare staff has snowballed into a national movement to Feed the Heroes.

More than 90,000 meals have been provided to frontline staff in all jobs across the country in just five weeks, following a massive outpouring of support and thanks from the people of Ireland.

Feed the Heroes started just before St Patrick’s Day when Cian O’Flaherty saw a tweet from staff at the emergency department of the Mater Hospital who had been delivered food, anonymously.

“It looked like it really boosted them,” he said, and set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to do the same. “I genuinely thought I’d raise a couple of hundred for pizza deliveries but people donated €10,000 within a few hours. It went viral.”
The fund has now raised more than €1million and allows the Feed the Heroes organisation that was speedily set up to provide healthy meals to thousands of frontline staff.

Cian said people really took to the idea, that they wanted to recognise the sacrifice of people going to work in a high risk environment.
“Irish people are very good in a crisis and food based gifts are very Irish.”

Thousands of people have made donations, many big companies have also been able to provide resources.
In Kilkenny a local company got involved and now bring meals to hospitals and ambulance crews in Kilkenny, Waterford, Wexford, Tipperary and Laois!

Dinners for Winners usually provide healthy meals directly to people’s homes. They were in an ideal position to help and got involved with Feed the Heroes early. They deliver meals to St Luke’s Hospital and Kilcreene in Kilkenny, as well as hospitals in Port Laoise, Wexford and Tipperary.

“It’s amazing how big it has become in a few weeks,”James Fennelly of Dinners for Winners said.
“We deliver straight to the front line. Staff can’t thank us enough. They get good, honest, healthy meals.”
His staff are working hard, but James says it’s great to be able to keep his staff busy and do something positive.
Hospitals get deliveries every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
To donate to Feed the Heroes, or offer support, see FeedtheHeroes.com