About us

We operate as a central food redistribution hub—collecting, storing, sorting, and grading donated food before delivering it to frontline agencies across the county. These include family resource centres, social services, homeless supports, and Saint Vincent de Paul, ensuring that good food reaches the people who need it most.

We collect a wide range of food and grocery items from local supermarkets and shops, including non-perishable, fresh, and frozen products. In addition to food, we often receive donations of essential non-food items such as toiletries, soap, and paper products, which are equally valued by the communities we support.

Foodshare Kerry was established in April 2015 in response to two pressing issues in County Kerry: the growing number of people experiencing food poverty, and the staggering amount of quality surplus food going to waste every day. With a simple but powerful mission—to bridge the gap between surplus and need—the organisation began its journey as a collaborative initiative between North East West Kerry Development (NEWKD) and St Vincent de Paul (SVP).

In its earliest days, Foodshare Kerry operated on a small scale from a modest depot in Tralee. Volunteers worked tirelessly to build relationships with local supermarkets, food producers, and distributors. The aim was clear: to rescue perfectly good food that might otherwise be sent to landfill and deliver it to community organisations that could put it to use feeding families and individuals in need.

In 2018, we became part of the Community Services Programme, an initiative funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and managed by Pobal which allowed us to hire three full-time staff. We were year recognised nationally and awarded €10,000 through the Social Enterprise Development Fund. The same year, we were selected for Ireland’s Social Enterprise Accelerator Programme.

Today, Foodshare Kerry operates from its base in Unit 2, Monavalley Industrial Estate, Tralee, where a team of dedicated staff coordinate the collection, storage, and distribution of thousands of kilos of food each year. The organisation uses a specially equipped van to collect food donations across the county. Every day, Foodshare Kerry plays a central role in tackling two of society’s most urgent problems: food waste and food poverty.