Soup Run

A team of volunteers accompanied by a member of the Outreach Team takes the Soup Run out onto the streets every night of the year. The Soup Run was Cork Simon’s first project 40 years ago and continues to be a key element in addressing homelessness in Cork.

The Soup Run is often the first point of contact for people who become homeless in Cork. The Soup Run offers nourishing food, blankets where needed and a friendly word. Together with the Outreach Team, the Soup Run can help quickly identify people who may be sleeping rough, people who may have just become homeless and people at risk of becoming homeless. In all cases the Outreach team works quickly to ensure people have access to the most appropriate project or service – whether that be a bed in the emergency shelter, an appointment with the health team, an appointment with the Youth Homeless Drug Prevention Project or an appointment with other more appropriate projects and services in Cork.

Throughout 2011 the Soup Run met an average of 21 people per night. Many of the people the Soup Run meets are isolated with little or no social support networks, are vulnerable and excluded and at risk of becoming homeless.