The St Vincent de Paul Society in Galway has reported a 50 per cent increase in the number of people contacting it for help in the past three months.
The charity attributes the rise to the effects of the economic downturn which is hitting people severely in recent months.
Val McNicholas, the local president of the society, says 20 per cent of its new callers are single parents (primarily women ), 20 per cent are migrants and immigrants while the remainder are families struggling to cope with mounting bills and reduced incomes.
Cuts in child benefit payments and reductions in social welfare benefits are all impacting on people, he says. Food and fuel are the main concerns.
Many of those living on the margins were “just about” able to cope in the past but when the “screw was tightened” they are now finding it increasingly difficult to manage financially.
A “totally new group” which is seeking aid are people who have fallen on hard times due to losing their jobs, he says.
“The recession is hitting parts of the city which were never hit before [by poverty], people who were comfortably off. They are in the 30 to 45 year age group, would have had a good standard of living and would have taken out large mortgages. They would have gone out for meals at the weekend and gone on holidays. Now the rug has been pulled from them.
“I’m getting calls from people I would have known in the past. Quite a number are self employed, such as plumbers or carpenters, and would have contributed to us in the past. They managed to get through last year and were optimistic that come the New Year things would get better. But now their savings are gone and no credit is forthcoming from the banks and financial organisations.
“People are in arrears with their mortgages, their cars are being repossessed and they are finding it difficult to buy food. Their biggest fear is losing their home. The number of people I’ve seen in tears, I’ve not seen it in my 10 years in St Vincent de Paul. I’ve seen nothing remotely like it.”
Mr McNicholas says people who were born into poverty or spend their lives struggling to make ends meet tend to have greater resilience than those experiencing financial hardship for the first time. Many of the latter group are reluctant to seek help because they feel embarrassed and would never have needed to seek aid in the past.
Thanks to a generous donation from a local organisation, specifically aimed at those worst hit by the recession, the society is in a position to help those people.
“A Galway organisation which has asked to remain anonymous has given us a significant amount of money specifically for those who have fallen on hard times. We got this money six weeks ago and are very grateful for it. It is manna from Heaven. This special fund will be used to help people who are falling behind in their mortgages and are in danger of losing their homes.
“Over the last year the society has helped many families who have found themselves facing money worries for the first time. They may have been facing health, education, mortgage or fuel bills that they could not pay. They may have felt embarrassed that they could not meet their debts and didn’t know where to turn. These people may not be familiar with the work of the society and don’t realise that it can help them in a practical way. We can provide finance and also act as a sounding board where one is needed.
“Members of the St Vincent De Paul will meet these families or individuals and with them work out a plan to tackle their present money worries. Every situation is different and individual, but there are common issues facing many people at the moment and the Society has the expertise, and the resources to act swiftly and effectively.”
He emphasises that the society’s services are completely confidential. “We would like to reassure people that any contact which they have with the organisation will be in strictest confidence and in private. We normally meet with people in their own homes to preserve this privacy.”
If you have financial worries and think the St Vincent De Paul can help you telephone (091 ) 563233 (Its office at Ozanam House, St Augustine Street, is open from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday. ) or e-mail [email protected] or write to The President, Society of St Vincent De Paul, Ozanam House, St Augustine Street, Galway.
