THE Saint Vincent de Paul charity in Donegal is seeing demand for their help rising as the cost of living crisis bites harder.
It is now seeing those who are in work unable to cope as the price of energy, food and fuel continue to rise.
Rosa Glackin is Regional President of the society in Donegal and this week she made the appeal through the Donegal News for anyone who is sitting at home stressing because of difficulties they are facing to get in touch.
“We know it is very hard to make that first call. People feel embarrassed to call the St Vincent de Paul. I want to assure anyone out there that they will be treated with dignity and respect and above all, confidentiality. Don’t be sitting at home stressed because we can help. In cases where there is serious illness in a family, the stress and financial pressure is there as well as the worry. I would appeal to people just to reach out and call us,” she said.
Ms Glackin explained that they had been very busy up until the budget when measures were announced to alleviate the pressure on families.
She welcomed these which she said benefited a lot of people.
“It certainly helped people in the run-up to Christmas. We are still experiencing growing demand and in the new year we anticipate a lot of hardship. We hear people talking about the continuing price hikes in groceries week on week.
“Those who work on the minimum wage are contacting us as they are stretched to the limit with interest rates and mortgages rising.
“We are still getting a lot of requests around education, particularly those not in receipt of grants are struggling to keep students in third level. Students do not appear to be getting the part-time employment they once depended on,” she added.
Ms Glackin thanked the public and businesses in Donegal who are so generous in donating to the charity.
“Our shops are a major source of income and people are very good at donating goods to them. Our annual collection will begin on December 9,” she said.
Nationally, the charity is currently receiving 800 requests for help every day.
Launching this year’s SVP Annual Appeal entitled “Impossible Choices”, Rose McGowan, SVP National President, said that despite the additional cost-of-living support payments made by the Government, there are many people who are struggling to meet basic family expenses.
“Last year, there were a record-breaking 191,000 requests for help received at our national and regional offices. That figure looks likely to be exceeded this year, with 168,000 requests already received to the end of October, a 19 per cent increase on the same time in 2021.
“The cost of living measures such as the one-off Fuel Allowance, double social welfare, child benefit and state pension payments will help low-income households during what will be a very difficult winter, but these measures are only temporary. We are very worried that many of these families will continue to struggle into next year.
She pointed out that those hardest hit include one parent-families, low-income workers; households on fixed social welfare incomes; low-income households in rural areas; people with disabilities and their carers.
“They are all facing impossible choices this Christmas and into the new year,” she said.
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