BIG DEMAND…Joe Maguire, Enniskillen and Ignatius Swift, Lisnaskea, volunteers with the St. Vincent de Paul charity sorting out donated gifts that is to be distributed through out the county to needy families
PEOPLE in Fermanagh are struggling worse than ever before this Christmas.
That is the message from a local charity here which has – over the Christmas period – had up to 1,400 requests for help, and could hand out close to £70, 000 worth of vouchers to help those in need.
St Vincent de Paul, which has bases all across the county, says that demand this Christmas is worse than it has ever been.
“I have been in houses where there are people lying on the floor – people don’t believe that this day and age – but that is happening. Maybe on a mattress, but in some cases no mattress,” explained Brendan Heuston, Fermanagh area president.
“I was in a house a couple of weeks ago in a housing estate and the baby was six weeks old, and as soon as you went into the living room the cold just hit you.
“This year has been at least 10 -15% worse than any other year. There’s been a clampdown on benefits, we’ve been told that the proposed welfare reform changes could take £17m out of Fermanagh – and don’t know where we’ll go with that. It’ll get to where we can’t sustain this at all.”
He also said that it is all kinds of people that are struggling: “Over the last four or five years of the recession its got worse and worse. It’s amazing the number of people who are coming – it’s not just people on benefits that are coming, it’s people on low wages, or people with mortgages that they can’t meet, so it’s everybody.”
Saint Vincent de Paul has bases (conferences) in the following Fermanagh areas: Enniskillen; Ederney; Irvinestown; Tempo; Lisnaskea/Maguiresbridge; Newtownbutler/Donagh; Roslea; Derrylin; and Kinawley.
“The society works in that we get requests on the help lines – each conference has their own helpline across the county and requests come through that. The rule of the society is that the members go and do a home visit and assess the need, if they establish that there is a need then they give accordingly,” Brendan went on.
At Christmas time, help is given towards: Family and individual support; fuel, gas, electric, clothing and furniture, food and hampers and home management.
The charity relies on fund-raising and donations – and noted the exceptional help given to them by local people and local schools especially at this time of year.
And, Brendan encouraged those who need help, to seek it.
“There is the dignity at times with certain age groups, the stigma is still there [when asking for help]. I’d say that you’re not on your own. If we can help we can.”
And, in regards to his own role, he said: “It can get you down, but you do what you can. If they haven’t approached you there’s nothing you can help them with, but if you can help them over Christmas then so much the better.”
• If you need help this Christmas, contact your local Saint Vincent de Paul conference.
To read more.. Subscribe to current edition
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere