'Toughest Christmas in decades' - Calls for help from SVP in Cork and Kerry up 30% 

St Vincent De Paul (SVP) South-West is set to face the “toughest Christmas and New Year in decades” as calls for help in Cork and Kerry are up 30% on this time last year.

Crippling energy costs, soaring fuel prices, and unprecedented demand for food have placed severe strain on resources, with 1,300 calls for help per week currently being made to SVP South-West.

People in Cork and Kerry are being asked to support the annual SVP South-West Car Draw which is a key fundraising event for the region and provides vital support to those in need.

Speaking at the launch of the SVP South-West Annual Car Draw, SVP South-West’s Regional Coordinator Gerry Garvey said the charity gearing up for the most demanding Christmas and Winter period in several decades.

“We have received an unprecedented number of calls for this time of year and from all walks of life, including but not limited to; pensioners and social welfare parents, carers and those on disability payments, and those on low paid employment,” he said.

“Energy costs are the primary concern for callers, and SVP are the only charity providing fuel assistance to families and vulnerable individuals in Cork and Kerry during the winter months. 

"The price of a bag of coal has almost doubled this year – it may even increase again and this has really put a strain on our reserve funds for the year.

“Energy costs are crippling, but unfortunately that’s not the only issue, the rising cost of food has also impacted our funds, and we need to ensure that we increase the food vouchers we provide in accordance with the cost of living and these heightened food prices.” he added.

“The overriding theme we are seeing this year is that, in addition to struggling and vulnerable people, the cost-of-living crisis is pushing full-time lower income workers further into poverty and we are receiving calls from people who are in despair every day because they are struggling massively to cope with basic living expenses.” 

SVP Regional President Paddy O’Flynn said that this year, the fundraiser would be even more critical to the charity to help them continue assisting people across both Cork and Kerry, describing the number of people who require assistance this year as “unprecedented”.

In addition to supporting families, in the run-up to and throughout the festive period, the charity continues to provide up to 4,530 homes across Cork and Kerry with regular coal deliveries throughout the winter and delivering approximately 350 food hampers every week to families in need.

Last year, over 8,400 families and individuals were contacted and supported by SVP volunteers in Cork and Kerry.

Tickets for the Annual SVP South-West Car Draw cost €5 each and can be purchased by visiting www.svp.ie/cardraw23.

The final date for entries will be 12 noon on Friday, January 12 2024 and the draw will take on Wednesday, January 17.