Volunteers: ‘Our Christmas dinner is the one we share with everyone, and it’s very special’
‘I just want to make sure we are looking out for our neighbours. You don’t know who needs a smile’
St Vincent De Paul
Pick up some covetable clothing while helping a charity – what’s not to love?
The St Vincent de Paul shop on South Great George’s Street in Dublin has a trove of gorgeous garments as modelled by distinguished actor Olwen Fouéré
‘There could be two cars, but the fridge is empty’: Hidden poverty in middle-class Ireland
A day spent in the Vincent de Paul southeast region office reveals the large number of requests from vulnerable seeking help with everything from food and utility bills to rent arrears and broken toilets
St Vincent de Paul prepares for record number of calls over financial hardship in 2024
Continuing cost-of-living crisis fuels rising scale of poverty even before Christmas rush, charity says
Dublin woman on the hunt for missing ring after accidentally donating it to charity
Jess McGuinness accidently gave the ring into a St Vincent de Paul shop when donating clothes
Not ‘pinko do-gooders’ but helpers and supporters - how volunteers power the Society of St Vincent de Paul
The charity - marking its 180th anniversary this year - relies on 10,000 volunteers to help the most disadvantaged cope with the rising cost of living and soaring rents
‘If it wasn’t for Naloxone I wouldn’t be here speaking to you right now’
Cork man overdosed on highly potent synthetic opiate Nitazene in December
Record number of people contacted St Vincent de Paul last year
Numbers accessing its services surpassed 250,000 people for first time last year
Living wage should rise to €14.80 an hour, says lobby group for unions and charities
Living Wage Technical Group says its figure, higher than the €13.80 recommended by the Government, compensates workers for inflation
Budget 2024 must target income support for children living in poverty - community groups
End Child Poverty Week seminar hears of difficulties in direct provision and generational poverty
Fewer parents seeking help with back-to-school expenses despite struggling with cost of living
Society of Saint Vincent de Paul says primary school children benefit from Government aid but urges more support for secondary school costs
Parents pay €28m in ‘voluntary contributions’ to plug gaps in school finances
Schools say they are forced to levy charges due to gap in State funding to meet everyday expenses
Cost of basics required to ‘live with dignity’ jumped last year, research suggests
Double-digit price increases for minimum basket largely driven by energy and food price increases
Tackling cold homes and fossil fuel heating in homes should be budget priorities, say NGOs
Social, environmental and voluntary organisations highlight ‘unprecedented crisis’ ahead of national economic dialogue
Children called out in class due to non-payment of voluntary contribution charges - SVP
Lockers and journals withheld from students whose parents do not pay the charges, says report
Some families spend a third of household income on basic healthy foods, Safefood research finds
Households with teenagers spend double what households with younger children spend on healthy food, says public body responsible for encouraging healthy eating
‘Life in Ireland is much easier and nicer. In Chile it’s all just work and paying bills’
New to the Parish: Camila Munoz Garcia came to Dublin from Chile
Calls to increase payments to children in direct provision who receive ‘just €29.80 per week’
Research shows current supports fall short of a minimum essential standard of living
Has the demise of money been exaggerated?
Pricewatch: Covid turned many people off notes, coins and ATMs but there are many democratic and inclusive reasons why physical cash should continue to have currency
Surge in number of people who cannot heat their homes - SVP
Charity says 377,000 people are unable to heat their homes adequately in energy-costs crisis and almost 454,000 have gone without heating
Charities that need our help in the run-up to Christmas
It can be a tough time of year for many, but there is an array of charities working to ensure that those most in need are not forgotten
Charity drive seeks donations of energy credits for those who ‘need it more’
SVP welcomes move and says without support record numbers of families could be left in the dark
No place for 470 schools on hot meals for children scheme
Figures show gravity of ‘food poverty’ problem facing families trying to feed youngsters
Almost €1.74m paid to charities from court poor box in 2018
One-quarter of total paid in Tralee District court with bulk of money going overseas
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