Liberty Soup Run face setbacks as Christmas season sets in

The Liberty Soup Run that helps homeless people and rough sleepers throughout Dublin city have been running into problems recently.

Chris O’Reilly, the founder of the operation, posted pictures to their social media page to show their followers the van they use to hold their food and clothes for those in need had been broken into and ransacked the night before. 

O’Reilly told The Liberty: “They ransacked the van, and they took little bits like a couple of little kids presents that we had people for Christmas, a bottle of perfume, sunglasses, and basically just ransacked the van. They had a good root, you know, it’s very disheartening.”

“it’s dreadful but look that’s what we’re up against. But you know what I also said to everybody today is I’d still love them people – and if it was people that we look after, I’d still look after them.”

Sadly, this isn’t the only challenge the soup run has been facing. Another video was posted onto their social media pages in which O”Reilly said that there were people pretending to be volunteers from the Liberty Soup Run in areas like Crumlin and Walkinstown collecting ‘donations. O’Reilly that the Liberty Soup Run would never ask for money in this way.

https://twitter.com/run_soup89131/status/1856215264242639152

“You’re trying to do good, and then someone comes and tries to steal that away from you. How could you? what goes on in people’s minds? I don’t know, it’s just sick people,” O’Reilly said. “It’s dire and especially coming up to Christmas as well, with the presents. We don’t get paid for this. We love helping people.”

Nonetheless, the organisation hopes to continue to provide help to as many rough sleepers as possible as the weather takes a cold and wet turn this winter.