‘The Echo’ pledges our support for St Vincent de Paul to help families in need

THE Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) has welcomed the news that the Irish Examiner and The Echo will again this year support the charity in helping those in need across Cork and Kerry.

Karen O’Donoghue, managing director of The Echo and the Irish Examiner, said the company will donate 20c from every copy of the Irish Examiner and The Echo sold on Saturday, December 16 to the SVP, and will give the charity €5 for every new subscriber who subscribes to its digital offering in December.

SVP southwest regional co-ordinator, Gerry Garvey, said all funds raised would be used throughout Cork and Kerry to assist families and seniors through this very challenging winter.

“This year, in addition to the traditional needs of food on tables and heat in homes, we have the added challenge of spiralling energy costs, which are difficult to even quantify but many have more than doubled,” said Mr Garvey.

“The cold winter temperatures, especially after Christmas, further impact those at the fringes of Society in poorly insulated homes and with very limited incomes.” 

This Christmas the SVP will deliver more than 3,500 hampers throughout the region, assist some 950 homes with heating, and spend more than €167,000 on energy costs.