The Ken Smollen Food Appeal
Donation protected
In early December 2016, having become aware that many people and families in County Offaly were going without many of the basic necessities of life, we decided to make an appeal to the people of Offaly for their help to alleviate this very hidden crisis by donating food to families in need in our county.
The response we received was unbelievable with so many people and businesses coming on board to help. The people and business owners in Offaly and indeed in other counties should be very proud of themselves for answering the call for help. Your generosity and kindness has helped us to provide food to so many families in need all over Offaly and also to some families in Counties Laois, Tipperary, Galway, Kildare and Westmeath.
However, this very hidden crisis is much worse than any of us could ever have anticipated. Beginning with just a handful of families we are now getting much needed supplies of food to 212 families on a once monthly or two monthly basis. The number continues to grow almost every day as more and more people realise that everything we do is being done discreetly and confidentially. NOBODY, not even the volunteers who help me will know the names or addresses of people needing help. No names will be passed to anyone else or any organisation and there’s certainly no form filling or anything else.
I have no other choice than to appeal for help as the seriousness of this hidden crisis continues to emerge and I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that we’re still only seeing the tip of the iceberg.
That’s the reason for this GoFundMe Appeal. We really need your help in ensuring that families in Offaly and other counties can at least have enough food to eat. ANY donation, no matter how small will make a big difference to a family. I know that not every family will reach out for help but we must get to as many as we possibly can.
I would also be very obliged if people could share this GoFundMe link with any Irish relations or friends you may have in other countries such as the US and the UK as this is genuinely nothing short of being a humanitarian crisis that’s being purposely hidden and totally ignored by our own very uncaring authorities.
Thank you so much for all of your help everyone.
Ken Smollen
The response we received was unbelievable with so many people and businesses coming on board to help. The people and business owners in Offaly and indeed in other counties should be very proud of themselves for answering the call for help. Your generosity and kindness has helped us to provide food to so many families in need all over Offaly and also to some families in Counties Laois, Tipperary, Galway, Kildare and Westmeath.
However, this very hidden crisis is much worse than any of us could ever have anticipated. Beginning with just a handful of families we are now getting much needed supplies of food to 212 families on a once monthly or two monthly basis. The number continues to grow almost every day as more and more people realise that everything we do is being done discreetly and confidentially. NOBODY, not even the volunteers who help me will know the names or addresses of people needing help. No names will be passed to anyone else or any organisation and there’s certainly no form filling or anything else.
I have no other choice than to appeal for help as the seriousness of this hidden crisis continues to emerge and I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that we’re still only seeing the tip of the iceberg.
That’s the reason for this GoFundMe Appeal. We really need your help in ensuring that families in Offaly and other counties can at least have enough food to eat. ANY donation, no matter how small will make a big difference to a family. I know that not every family will reach out for help but we must get to as many as we possibly can.
I would also be very obliged if people could share this GoFundMe link with any Irish relations or friends you may have in other countries such as the US and the UK as this is genuinely nothing short of being a humanitarian crisis that’s being purposely hidden and totally ignored by our own very uncaring authorities.
Thank you so much for all of your help everyone.
Ken Smollen
Organizer
Ken Smollen
Organizer
