SVP charity sees a 50% rise in those seeking help

Date Published: 18-Apr-2012

By Dara Bradley

Struggling families in Galway are turning to the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SVP) in record numbers to make ends meet – there has been a 50 per cent increase in demand for the charity’s services locally so far this year.

The SVP Galway Conference, comprised of 25 local conferences in Connemara, the city and its outskirts, have reported a 50 per cent surge in demand in the first three months of 2012.

Last year, the charity dealt with around 1,000 families in the months January, February and March but over the corresponding period in 2012 that has increased by 500 to 1,500 needy families who are struggling to pay for food, electricity, fuel, mortgages and other bills.

SVP estimates that around 30 per cent of the families looking for help are ‘new’ and have never before turned to the charity – in fact, in many cases, the families now needing support are the ones who used to make contributions to the charity rather than the other way round.

In all of 2011, SVP supported around 4,000 families in Connemara and the city, which entailed approximately 12,000 visits. On the evidence of the demand in the first three months of this year, if the trend continues, the numbers will reach 6,000 families and 18 visits by the yearend.

SVP Galway Area President, Val McNicholas said one of the reasons for the increase is that employees in the public sector are referring cases to the charity because the State organisations do not have the resources at their disposal.

“Public sector employees like Social Welfare officers would have dealt with hardship cases in the past but because of the cutbacks in budgets they are referring families to us because they are no longer in a position to help,” he said.

Mr McNicholas explained the other reason for the surge in demand was that unemployment and social welfare cuts were beginning to bite.

Read more in today’s Connacht Tribune