20


COMMUNITY


Feeding The Multitudes In EK is No Small Miracle


DENIS CURRAN was recently awarded an MBE for his life changing work at the Loaves and Fishes food bank.


lCan you tell me a bit abo- ut your work at Loaves and Fishes? l[We’re here] 4 days a week minimum- we are open Mon- day, Tuesday and Thurs- day Half 9 to Half 12 and on a Wednesday half 9 to 3 O’clock. Not just me but my wife and other people. I’m co- ming up for 72 you know it’s a lot to take on…


I go into schools where the kids have donated food. I hold up a tin of soup and ask what them what it is. They shout: it’s soup! Its Heinz! Then I’ll pick up a bag of rice and ask them what that is and they say: it’s rice. I say: what else is it? They say its such and such a brand. Well that tin of soup is a tin of hope. That packet of ri- ce is a packet of love. Beca- use I’m going to someone’s house with a bag of messa- ges and they’ve got nothing- you’re giving them hope that tomorrow’s going to be better. You’re helping to feed them; you’re showing them love. It works- we get a great amount of help from local kids, primary schools, churches and local businesses.


Since the benefit cuts and


since we’ve moved up he- re it’s just gradually moved from working with the home- less to working with families. We used to do about 40 fami- lies at Christmas but this year we’ve done well over 1000 families. We’ve just stop- ped counting. The year befo- re last we ran out of everyth- ing, everyone got fed but we ran out. This year for the first ti- me- we’ve always given them two boxes- a box of tins and a box of dry goods- well this year everyone got a £20 vou- cher for Farmfoods, a £10 vo- ucher for the butchers and a every child got a £25 voucher for Toys R Us. At the end not everyone was able to get that but you’ve got to do what you can.


To get an MBE - its good to be recognized, it’s a fantastic honour but it’s morally wrong. Denis Curran Loaves and Fishes


lHow did it feel to be awar- ded an MBE for your work? lIt took a while for it to, qui- te a few people to speak to me before it would sink in. Even yet, I say to myself, an MBE just for feeding people? It’s a privilege to get it but there are a lot of people who do a lot of work. To get an MBE - its good to be recognized, it’s a fantastic honour but it’s morally wrong. I don’t think, I know it’s morally wrong. That in an educated country we have people star- ving… It’s sad because peo- ple are too proud to ask for so- mething and they get to that point that it’s the worst before they ask for help. It’s so, so, so sad. But you know you go to a house and a lady opens the door and has eyes sunk in the back of her head, despair, and


you give them a bag of messa- ges, and there’s a wee glint in the eye and you’ve gave them hope. And relief that they can feed their family for another day.


I don’t decry other chariti- es but I don’t agree with giving them X amount because they don’t want people to get de- pendent on us. Well they are dependent on us.


lHow can people of EK make a difference? lBecoming aware, peo- ple are becoming aware now. When you see the amount of food that we’ve got in there. Its all been donated by people. They need to become mo- re aware about who they’re going to vote… I say to a lot of politicians when they ask me who I’m going to vote for and I ask them- what are your poli- cies on getting rid of food ban- ks? I get total silence- then I say, well I’ll not be voting for you then!


lWhat’s the best part of yo- ur job here at Loaves and Fishes? lGetting to meet people. There’s so much good in this world and I like to think that I’ve made a difference in some people’s lives. I know they’ve made a difference in my li- fe. My problems seem so mi- nute, even when Cathy was going through the cancer, the biggest help that I got came from the people that we de- al with.


Our house is full of thank you cards, especially from the homeless guys. They gave us


3 April 2015 East Kilbride Post


Denis and his wife, Cathy


presents for our anniversary and they make us feel like part of their life. A lot of them, espe- cially people in the street, they call Cathy Ma’. She’s the nea- rest to a mother that many ha- ve… My life and Cathy’s life is richer for doing this, not finan- cially cause we don’t have any money but it’s richer for mee- ting people.


lThey say that behind every great man there’s a great woman, is that the ca- se with you and Cathy? lYep, you better believe it, but don’t you tell her that. The- re was a few times I wanted to leave here and Cathy said no. Every organisation brings its problems with different pe- ople. Things were getting ro- pey sometimes and Cathy said just you keep doing what you’re doing and don’t listen to people. Just keep going don’t leave. You’re the force be- hind this she said- even when


I wasn’t the Chairman. She plays a big part in my life.


lYou and Cathy have just celebrated your Golden an- niversary- what’s your se- cret to a successful marri- age? lCathy says: “I just tell peo- ple to agree with what he says and then just go and do it yo- ur own way.” To be faithful to one another and to love one another. The most powerful thing in the world is love and it can’t be beaten, it can’t be destroyed and it only takes one person to show it. If one person shows love then you’ll never beat it or conquer it.


lIs there anything else you’d like to add? lWe’re eternally grateful for the people of East Kilbride and what they donate. They don’t realise the difference that it’s making to people’s lives. You get comments like- surely not


East Kilbride, but what do we think East Kilbride is? Peo- ple ask, “Is it the same people who come on a Monday and a Thursday?” My response is- I eat every night and I just let them think about that… If I had enough money I’d make sure they eat every night, I eat every night.


I’ve seen a lot of people dying because they never changed. I’ve also seen a lot of people changing becau- se they had to- seen them get off the street and get back into society.


Why should people be trea- ted any differently? If you treat them different, then they’re going to be different. If you treat them the same, they’ll change.


lIf you want to donate to Loaves and Fishes, you can find information about how to do so on their website: loavesandfishes.org.uk


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