By Dionne Meehan
THE rising cost of electricity, fuel and rent are just a few reasons why local community organisations are feeling the pressure as Christmas approaches.
With Trojan work underway on the run up to the festive season, many are seeing a rise in the demand for their services compared to recent years.
Rosa Glackin, Regional President of St Vincent de Paul, said despite the double payments recently arising from the budget, there is still a lot of need out there.
“One of the issues would be the cost of electricity, people with arrears for that and the rising cost of food and fuel.
“Obviously, with the run up to Christmas, that is a huge issue.
“There are people out there who are maybe working, are on low incomes and are really struggling because there isn’t much leeway for them between what they earn and the bills that have to be met,” she said.
With St Vincent de Paul receiving 230,000 calls nationally so far this year, Rosa said these figures are expected to rise when the new figures are released.
“We didn’t think the demand would increase because there were quite a number of pay-outs from the budget.
“But, in actual fact, it is driven really by the rising cost in living and the cost of rent increasing.
“More and more people are finding it hard to meet rent payments.
“People are under pressure and there is an increase in demand.
“There are times we thought it might level off but it hasn’t really happened,” she said.
Urging those who are struggling to get in contact, Rosa said they are in a position to help people when they ask for it.
“We are asking those people to contact us, we can help and there is no reason we can’t.
“I know making that first call is difficult but we are there and it is confidential.
“We treat everyone with respect and dignity,” she said.
Taking time to express her gratitude, Rosa thanked the public for being “extremely generous”.
Agreeing with Rosa, We Care Food Bank PRO, Fintan McGrath said the demand has increased “undoubtedly” this year.
“It has been very busy, it gets busier every year.
“About one month ago, compared to last year, the demand is up over 20 per cent,” he said.
With high volumes of people coming into the country, the cost of living increasing, interest rates going up and mortgages becoming harder to pay back, Fintan said there is a multitude of reasons why the numbers availing of the service has gone up.
“The number of people coming in has increased year on year.
“Going back two or three years ago, the majority of people coming to our food bank would all have been Irish nationals.
“Now, the Irish nationals would be in the minority.
“We get people from all over, South America, the Middle East, Georgia and Afghanistan.
“We have about 15 volunteers in the food bank.
“They are all excellent people who give up their time and coming up to Christmas they give more time,” he said.
Starting their Christmas preparation several weeks ago, Fintan said this year families have been receiving vouchers for Aldi along with the “usual” Christmas indulgence including tins of biscuits and sweets.
With the food bank surviving solely on donations, Fintan described the support they have been receiving off the public and local businesses as being “superb”.
Also experiencing the consequences of rising rents and mortgages, Ciaran Maguire, Manager of St Colmcille’s Hostel, said the demand has been “very high”.
St Colmcille’s Hostel in Letterkenny is emergency accommodation for unplanned homeless.
Normally housing people for a short period of time while they seek private rented accommodation elsewhere, Ciaran said they are now finding it hard to move people on due to the hike in rent prices.
“The private rented has got so expensive that the people staying here can’t afford to move into that accommodation so we are log jammed now.
“We are finding it hard to move people on so people are staying here longer and longer, that is the big pressure for us,” he said.
Open for the past 27 years, Ciaran said there has always been a homeless issue.
However, there are now a number of issues making the situation “worse”.
With the number of private rented properties now becoming less and less due to the housing of refugees and mica affected families, Ciaran said accommodation is getting “harder” to find.
“We will be full up for Christmas and that is the hard part because everyone wants to be in their own house for Christmas.
“It is just getting harder and harder to find that.
“At the moment anything that is out there, that is available, is beyond the financial capabilities of our clients that we have here.
“It is just too expensive for them,” he said.
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