Norma MacMahon, Agnes McGurn and Joe Maguire from St Vincent De Paul Centre in Enniskillen busy packing Christmas hampers
THE people of Fermanagh have shown no shortage of their giving festive spirit in helping struggling families once again this year.
The St Vincent de Paul (SVP) in Fermanagh and Enniskillen’s Salvation Army branch 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, told the Herald: “We’ve a much bigger demand this Christmas and it’s all about heating and hampers. People are struggling to buy oil to heat their homes and groceries to feed their families. We do what we can to help but only for people’s generosity we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.”
For Major Simon Wright from the Salvation Army Church in Enniskillen it’s a very busy time of year. This year the Salvation Army will give out 250 toys to needy children in the county, but Major Wright says that sadly this is an increase on last year as more families in need come forward.
“Once again the people of Fermanagh have proven themselves to be so very generous at this time of year. Unfortunately the number of families requiring our help has increased and while it is good that we are able to reach them, obviously it’s disappointing to see so many still in need. We have noticed more low income families coming forward.
“These are people who have jobs but their mortgages have increased and they still have bills to pay, heating oil and food to buy. If there was a crisis and for example they had to buy a washing machine or microwave, they just couldn’t afford it,” he said.
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