Comfortifi.com - Living good with food.
A community-centered business model which delivers nutritionally–appropriate food to the 65+ market delivering sustained at-home living.
About You
Background Information
First Name
Suzanne
Last Name
Byrne
Twitter URL
Facebook URL
The competition is only open to people between 18-34 years-old and resident in UK, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark or the Netherlands. Does this apply to you
Yes.
Country of residence of entrepreneur
Ireland
Tell us about your personal background. Why are you passionate about this issue? Making an idea a reality takes innovation, dedication and strong leadership. Do you have the necessary entrepreneurial skills to realize your vision?
I'm acutely aware of the fact that if I want to stay in Ireland, which I do, then my generation will bear the tax burden of the two elderly generations which are emerging. If by eating well and delivering nutritionally dense fortified meals to those over 65 years there is a chance that Ireland can recover from this economic crisis and, become the place to grow old in, comfortably.
About Your Organization
Organization Name
Comfortifi.com
Organization Website
Organization Country
Ireland, DB
Country where this project is creating social impact
Ireland
Is your organization a
Not registered
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Innovation
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
The high costs of acute in-patient care for 65+ borne by the Health Service Executive , which will be paid for through our taxes: the economically-active in Ireland. This cost burden is unsustainable. This socially-focused grassroots organization which will meet the rising demand for sustained, independent, at-home living among the emerging active-ageing demographic in Ireland which is growing at a rate of 5% pa.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
By fortifying the body’s defence systems of 65+ against chronic illnesses primarily associated with ageing , through nutrition, we will mitigate the spiralling demand for healthcare in this country and meet the need of the active-ageing to grow old at home and gracefully.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
'Come dine with us daily' Nutritionally-appropriate on-site meal with take away soup which delivers 100% of RDA for 65+.
'Use your loaf' Fortified bread-making - take home for toast and tea every morning.
'Food with Far-away Family' Food and internet-based calls through Comfortifi.com portal with family members abroad
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Our competitors range from voluntary and commercial care providers; store-bought ready-meals to the existing public home-help service.
Competitive Advantage
We stand out from our competitors as we leverage ‘living good with food’ to mitigate the psychosocial impact of ageing:
• Mental agility;
• Social exclusion;
• Independent living;
• Physical capability.
In parallel, we will redress the psychological impact of long-term unemployment by ‘living good with food’:
• Empowering staff to ‘earn through giving’;
• Rewarding active community participation;
• Creating a welcoming environment where practical skills are developed with teamwork and conversation at our core.
Select the stage that best applies to your business
Operating for less than a year
This Entry is about (Issues)
Social Impact
What is the social impact you have had to date and how you measure it?
None - this a public sector - social enterprise initiative which builds on a traditional volunteer concept of Meals-on-Wheels and job schemes provided by FAS.
Sustainability
How does your model address financial, social, and environmental sustainability?
Sustainable Product: Sourcing local produce keeps main ingredients fresher for longer and delivers the highest nutritional benefit to our members. As waste is primarily organic we would seek to compost and gift fertilizer to our members and staff for home-gardening and grow-your-own produce.
Economic:
Creating jobs for long-term unemployed: we propose to fund this by redeploying HSE Home Support Payments at a lesser per hour cost, in line with private sector rates .
Promoting local producers: sourcing surplus seasonal produce, not bound for export, generates revenue and partnering suppliers will benefit through raised brand-awareness among the communities of project-partners delivering customer loyalty .
Social:
Staff: Preparing long-term unemployed for re-entry into labour force once the Irish economy is healthy again.
Clients: Providing affordable, appropriate meals and social contact for the vulnerable in our society: 65+ recipients of the State pension who may now live alone. Our pricing strategy reflects this and growth strategy aims for cost-leadership positioning.
Informal/Family carers: As pressure on informal carers increases, reduced benefits and family members emigrating, we will provide an outlet to share those daily mealtime duties with a client-centric provider. Our additional product offerings will provide ‘time-off’ for carers who today provide over 43 hours of informal care per week.
Awareness & learning
How do you see social entrepreneurship contributing to the improvement of developing countries?
Every country will face the same demographic shift in years to come, we are all living longer and two ageing populations are emerging. If this model is successful in Ireland, it could become a model for future generations to mitigate the impact of acute in-patient care.
What aspects of your stay in Uganda as part of the competition do you think you will find most challenging and rewarding?
Humility: my idea prposes to solve a problem which has come about by greed and excess. Understanding teamwork and the need to surround yourself with passionate people who despite limited budget and adversity still see a way through and are committed to the common good.
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