A worrying Christmas for tens of thousands

FOR the estimated 50,000 plus homes who will contact the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) this winter the words of the popular song ‘It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year’ are totally at odds with their circumstances.

For them Christmas can be the most worrying time of the year.

That’s according to the St Vicnet De Paul who launched their SVP Annual Appeal last week with Ryan Tubridy.

Kieran Stafford National President said: “Last year our volunteers visited 50,000 homes in the winter period and with the 2019 calls for help so far running ahead of the 2018 figures we expect that the figure for this year will increase.

“These are people who want to make Christmas as special for their children and families as everyone else but lack the financial resources to meet the additional costs this time brings, and are already struggling to pay for food, heating and rent,” he said.

This Christmas, SVP has again put children at the heart of its Annual Appeal and Kieran Stafford said that is because they are the most vulnerable and should not suffer because society has got things so wrong.

“This year we hope to bring a happy Christmas to the many children living in poverty especially the 3,873 ithout a home and relying on emergency accommodation,” he said.

Mr Stafford also thanked the public for their generous support which is so important for those SVP help each year at Christmas.

He quoted a letter received by SVP from a family who was helped, “I was really struggling when I reached out to SVP. Volunteers visited my home and helped pay for oil. A warm house took so much pressure off.”