CHRISTMAS is the season of giving and, according to two local charities, the people of Fermanagh have shown no shortage of that festive spirit in helping struggling families once again this year.

 

The St Vincent de Paul (SVP) and the Salvation Army have been working together to help ensure no family in the county goes without this Christmas, with the SVP providing food hampers for those in need and the Salvation Army ensuring every child has a toy to wake up to.

 

Both charities have said they’re as busy as ever this year, with the Salvation Army already handing out toys to well over 200 children.

 

Joe Maguire, president of the local branch of SVP, said: “We’re very busy at the moment. We’ve a big, big demand this Christmas. As always, people have been very generous and everything we get in goes right back out again.

 

 “Only for people’s generosity we wouldn’t be able to do what we do. We have people volunteering and donating all year around, and it means no genuine person will ever be turned away if it’s possible.”

 

Mr Maguire said the SVP had been working closely with the Salvation Army, with both groups pulling their resources to ensure the high demand from needy families could be met. If the SVP receive toy donations they give them to the Salvation Army, who likewise give the SVP any food donations they receive.

 

Major Simon Wright from the Salvation Army Church in Enniskillen said the relationship works well. He said this year the Salvation Army had given out 227 toys to needy children in the county, but added he feared there may be even more families in need locally.

 

“It’s a very busy time of year. We have a lot of people in need,” said Major Wright, who thanked people for their generosity throughout the year. “Our concern is there may be many more people out there who are ashamed to ask for help.

 

“To enable us to target the right people and get the toys to those who need it most we operate on a referral-only basis as the agencies know the people and have a relationship with them.
 It helps stop the same people needed help year after year, as the agencies work with them and look at the route of their problems. We simply can’t do that in the space of a week.”