Wicklow Meals on Wheels food servings up 23pc since January as food costs soar
The continued rise in prices is also impacting on essentials outside of meat. Butter is up 18.6pc and fresh low fat milk is up 13.7pc, while fish is up 3.3pc.
Noeleen Redmond of Wicklow Meals on Wheels said: 'The cost of meat in particular is going up all the time. We have a rota involving the four butchers in Wicklow town and have a great relationship with them. We tend to use each of them for two month periods of the year.
'The price of everything is going up though, not just meat. Every single thing we buy is more expensive, right down to the butter in the spuds. A pound of butter now costs €5, and it wasn't that long ago when it used to be €2.29. We have noticed an inordinate difference in costs which seem to be rising all the time.'
Despite the increasing pressures being placed on them, Wicklow Meals on Wheels consider themselves to be in a good position, and remain financially secure. They also secured a sizeable grant allocation from then Health Minister Stephen Donnelly last year, just before moving into their new premises.
Noeleen said: 'We ran at a €3,500 deficit after Covid. We continued our deliveries in 2020, but with the restrictions in place, we didn't collect any money from March to September, and actually also started a third delivery per week, so we ended up with a deficit, but that has since been cleared.
'I have to thank the people of Wicklow town and surrounding areas for al of their support. The Singing Santy's were back in December for the first time since Covid and raised €1,700. We also started up our church gate collections again. Thankfully we remain in a good position despite the rising food costs and will continue to deliver up to 90 meals twice per week.'
She added: 'We served more than 100 meals more in June than we carried out in January of this year, involving serving two meals per person per week. We delivered around 650 meals in January, compared to nearly 800 meals in June.
'Our demand is significantly higher. The rising food costs are probably having an influence, but we are probably victims of our own success as well. We have been making a lot of effort to highlight the service, and I think people who could avail of the service are noticing.
'I was down in Tramore the other week and I bumped into a woman who said she saw me in the Wicklow People featured in an article on Wicklow Meals on Wheels. We have been raising awareness over the service, and alongside making our profile higher, people are also living longer.'
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