Food & Meal Services
Nourishing & Caring
At the Capuchin Day Centre, our primary goal is to provide support to people who are homeless in Dublin or who are at risk of homelessness and experiencing food insecurity.
We aim to minimise the immediate, short-term and long-term risk of poverty and to enhance the health and well-being of the homeless people we support. To achieve this, we channel our resources into essential nutrition, quality-of-life initiatives, programs and activities to safeguard people impacted by poverty and homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness.
Our food programmes include:
Meals for the Homeless
The Capuchin Day Centre provides both a breakfast and lunch service Monday to Saturday from 7:30am to to 3pm. In 2023, our catering team provided 313,460 wholesome hot meals between breakfasts and lunch to people at risk of hunger. Breakfast includes items such as cereal, porridge, sausages, rashers, eggs, pudding, beans, tomatoes, etc with tea/coffee.
Food Parcels
In 2023, the Capuchin Day Centre provided 73,527 food parcels to people at acute risk of poverty and hunger. Distributed weekly, this programme is hugely important and much valued by homeless people and families. It provides some basic necessities to support people through the week including items such as cooked ham, cooked chicken, tea, milk, sugar, beans, bread, butter, cheese, etc.
Principles of Meal Provision
In providing meals to our guests at the Centre we endeavour to follow a number of principles as follows:
Principle 1: Quality and Nutritional Value
The Capuchin Day Centre will prioritize providing high-quality, nutritious food and drink to guests, staff, and visitors. This includes considering dietary needs, allergies, and preferences.
Principle 2: Variety and Choice
The Capuchin Day Centre will offer a diverse menu with healthy options to ensure that guests receive balanced meals.
Principle 3: Consistency of Guest Experience
The Capuchin Day Centre will ensure that guests have a consistent experience of meal size, quality, variety, choice, etc., throughout each week.
Principle 4: Cultural Sensitivity
The Capuchin Day Centre will ensure that, insofar as is reasonably possible, it is sensitive to the cultural preferences of guests in the choice of meals it provides.
Principle 5: Sustainability
The Capuchin Day Centre will minimize food waste, source ingredients responsibly, and promote environmentally friendly practices.
Principle 6: Monitoring and Improvement
The Capuchin Day Centre will regularly assess food provision quality, monitor guest satisfaction, and seek continuous improvement.
