The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SVP) expects this Christmas to be its busiest yet with requests for help set to exceed 250,000.
“We will be busy, but we’re ready for it,” said its national president, Teresa Ryan.
At the end of October, the number of calls requesting assistance from the charity were up 7 per cent on last year.
This year’s appeal theme, The Wonder of Christmas, reflects the rising level of calls.
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“Parents are wondering how to stretch the food shopping, older people are wondering whether to turn on the heat and too many children are wondering if there will be a little joy for them this Christmas.”
Ms Ryan said the recent budget brought some “welcome measures” but “we would consider them to not be sufficient enough, because poverty is there, people are suffering.”
“Too many households still cannot afford the basics, especially one parent families, low income workers, people with disabilities and their carers, and those in insecure housing.”
Volunteers are SVP’s “biggest resource”, Ms Ryan said, and called for more people to make themselves available.
Volunteers conduct almost 500,000 home visitations to people in need as “nothing replaces a friendly and empathetic face at the door,” she explained.
“We make a difference so that it’s not just a once-off, that it actually makes a difference in their lives. Any money that we get or any donations we get is well spent in supporting the needy.
“There are many, many, many families that have found themselves in situations where there is very little hope. So we try to bring that hope and comfort and joy to the families.”
SVP has said it will spend tens of millions of euro in supporting people with essentials such as food vouchers, groceries, electricity and fuel.
Broadcasters Marty Whelan and Mary Kennedy officially launched this year’s annual appeal on Monday.
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