Monday, December 08, 2008

Surge in poverty causes SVP branches to face credit crunch

Local branches of the St Vincent de Paul have run out of money due to an unprecedented surge in the numbers contacting the charity, it was revealed at the launch of the Society's largest ever Christmas appeal.

For the first time in years, ''a significant number'' of the 1200 conferences which operate on the premise of local money to help local people are not self-sustainable.

President, Máiread Bushnell, said branches were being forced to apply for funding to the Society's headquarters just to meet running costs.

''Local conferences apply every year to central office for money for specific projects but this is the first time they are applying for working money,'' she said.

In the first nine months of the year, calls to the Society in Dublin increased by 37 per cent; by 30% in Cork and by 30% in the Midwest.

Reflecting this increase, the Society's Christmas campaign aims to raise €10 million to help the needy, a considerable increase on last year's €5m target.

Delivering the Society's 2007 annual report, Treasurer, Geoff Meaghar, said the number of conferences running out of money was expected to increase in the year ahead.

He said the Society will have €60 million in 2009 to maintain its services at current levels.

The audited accounts show that the Society's books are still balanced with a €11.5m surplus at the end of 2007.

However, this falls to €4m when a one-off bequest of €7m with the stipulation attached of being spent in Galway is taken into account.

The published accounts also show that church gate collections in 2007 increased by 6% on the previous year.

Ms Bushnell said in places the 9,000 volunteers were experiencing a quadrupling of their workload and many of new calls were coming from those who have never contacted the charity before.

''Any increases in the social welfare payments have been gobbled up by increases in food and energy prices.''

Two women spoke about their experience of the SVP

''My partner left me with five children and I didn't realise until he left he hadn't paid any of the bills; I was getting an eviction notice from the Corpo, the ESB and the gas were getting cut off. The Vincent de Paul were so non-judgemental; they contacted the Corporation and the ESB and sorted everything out so I could pay so much a week.'' - Susan

''My husband left me up to my neck in debt and my young fella's communion was only two weeks away when I contacted the Vincent de Paul, I was so desperate, I was suicidal. They wrote a letter to the relieving officer and did up a budget for me. I was living on chips and eggs, one day, [the volunteer] knocked at the door with a parcel of steak and corn beef, the kids didn't know what they were getting. I'd recommend them to anyone and they don't embarrass you.'' - Christine
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(Source: IC)