Interviews

Trinity VDP founder starts a foodbank

In 1962, Brian O'Malley and four others founded the Trinity Vincent de Paul (the 'Vinnies'). After a career spent mainly with oil and gas multinationals, Brian retired to his second love: helping society’s disadvantaged, as one of the ‘Vinnies’. In August 2017, he launched a foodbank in the Pearse Street community centre. As of August 2018, it had assisted 3,136 individuals with 8,700 bags of food: that is 1,333 children, 911 women, 823 men and 69 pensioners. The average number of users has risen from 38 to 200 weekly, including some homeless people and rather more in drug and alcohol rehabilitation.

With only 20 community-based VDP members available, backup from today’s Trinity Vinnies is invaluable. The EU’s FEAD programme covers 76 percent of food tonnage.  The balance comes mainly from supermarkets via FoodCloud –– another TCD Business School success.

Tell us about yourself and your background.
I'm married to Patricia Gallivan and have two daughters: Rachel and Jane Grace. I was born in Malaysia, as was my Dad (an Orthopaedic surgeon). Educated by the Jesuits in England. Retired from a career spent, often abroad, with Oil and Gas exploration and production, with Multi-National Quoted Companies.

What sparked your interest in social enterprise?
'China town' in 1950s Kuala Lumpur. Kampongs near Malacca. Inner City in late 1960s London.

What’s the overall aim of Trinity VDP? How did you come up with the idea to set it up?

Trinity undergrads should be helping those living outside its walls: 'There but for the Grace of God go I'. Brendan Heffernan, the first Catholic Chaplain (appointed by John Charles McQuaid) wanted a branch of the Vincent de Paul and of the Legion of Mary set up.  I knew nothing of either. As I had experience with Shelter in London, he decided I was to head the former. He sensed the latter could be 'too religious' for the likes of me: a non-conformist.

What were some of the biggest challenges for you personally and for the organisation when you were setting up Trinity VDP? 

My main challenge was to ensure I got the degree, sufficient to get accepted by Craig Gardner (now PWC), so that I could go on to work in Malaysia as a Chartered Accountant with Coopers. The National Council of the VDP was so delighted that we were set up in Trinity, that they were willing to fund anything - the National President even appointed me onto his Council. Brendan would drive us to our respective homes (via the front gate and the Porter's salute) after our numerous into-the-early-hours socials within the sanctum of the Laurentian Society's Number 4 room.

What led you to set up the foodbank in the Pearse Street community centre? 

I set up a foodbank in the Pearse Street community centre to ensure our VDP families actually got food. Paying off their utility bills often meant there was nothing left for food. Especially to cut off the supply of supermarket vouchers being used (at a discount to face value) for the settling of drug debts. I had my client base: the City Quay VDP Conference had 300+ families on its books, Pearse Street VDP 150+.

What impact has the foodbank had on service users? 

200+ families served weekly with long-life food funded by the European Union (FEAD program) together with fresh fruit and vegetables via FoodCloud in Tallaght. That's a database of 1,400 families mainly living within City Quay, around Pearse Street, in Ringsend, Dolphin's House, around the North Circular Road.

How do you think being a member of Trinity VDP benefits today’s students?

Being role-models, inter-acting with Trinity's neighbours, building on initiatives fostered in particular by the current Provost. As a Pearse Street Community Centre employee explained of her students assisted with one-to-one grinds from Trinity students: 'they want to go to Trinity, nowhere else (in Dublin)'.

If you were in Government tomorrow what measures would you implement to address the social issues that drive the number of people using the Trinity VDP and foodbank services?

The Trinity VDP initiatives are such as to be imitated world-wide.  Some examples: socialising with children at their level, chatting to the lonely on a one-to-one basis, painting their homes. There is a statistically proven deficit as between what the State provides and that expected, acceptable standard of living. This has been growing, so needs to be reversed. Up the ante: from education about drug abuse, and Methadone treatment to creation of a drug-free environment. Police it on a par with Temple Bar.