#461 Soup Runs:Lifeline or Lifelong Trap?

In this episode, Niall sits down with Chris O’Reilly from the Liberty Soup Run, a grassroots group that has been serving Dublin’s homeless community for the past 7 years. With 30 volunteers and two vans operating five nights a week, Liberty Soup Run provides not only food but a vital lifeline to people living rough on the streets.

Chris shares powerful insights into the day-to-day work of the team, the challenges they face, and the deep human connections that come with helping those in need.

Later, Niall opens the phone lines to ask a tough but important question:

👉 Do soup runs encourage people to remain on the streets?

The responses are varied and passionate.

Some callers say soup runs are essential, providing dignity and survival to people with nowhere else to turn. Others argue that they might unintentionally discourage engagement with housing and addiction services by making life on the street slightly more bearable.

One caller believes the real issue lies in the lack of government support, saying soup runs exist because of gaps in the system. Another insists that while soup runs help in the short term, long-term solutions need to focus on housing and mental health support.

It’s a complex, emotional debate that gets to the heart of how we care for society’s most vulnerable.