A NEW appeal for funds by the Society of St Vincent de Paul has been described as urgent for the first time by the charity because of the “horrendous” increase in numbers who require its support.
Calls for help to the society have almost doubled since 2008. Its members are expected to make an estimated 150,000 visits to homes throughout Ireland between now and Christmas.
“I don’t think we have used that [urgent] before, and the urgency is cause by the increase in the number of people who are coming to us for assistance,” said Mairéad Bushnell, national president of the society.
“They are horrendous numbers . . . we need donations, we need volunteers.”
The appeal got off to a good start yesterday with news that best-selling author Marian Keyes had given an immediate donation of €25,000 from the Irish royalties of her next book, Saved by Cake, to the society.
Speaking about her donation Keyes said: "Even though Saved by Cakewon't be published until February 2012, I'm donating the money now, prior to Christmas, because our country is suffering such hardship and Christmas is the toughest time of year."
The society pointed in particular to energy costs as a huge concern for the people whom the society is meeting.
Ms Bushnell said these people were “absolutely terrified” of the budget and that while many other people may say that, they at least would probably be able to keep their houses warm.
“We even have some reports of elderly people going to bed very early in the evening to keep warm, this is disgraceful . . . more than ever we are counting on the generosity of the Irish people, ” she said.
The appeal was officially launched in the society’s shop on Seán McDermott Street in Dublin city yesterday by Dublin footballer Eamon Fennell and broadcaster Ryan Tubridy, who said that certain members of society should be made “recession proof”.
“The older people in society, the youngest people in society, have to be protected above all else,” Tubridy said. “The rest, we will look after you, we will get to you, but the very young and the very old cannot be left behind under any circumstances.”
Advertisements for the appeal began appearing on national and local radio stations, as well as on television, yesterday and will continue until mid-December.
Meanwhile some €150,000 worth of advertising – secured free of charge by the society – is also being used for the appeal.
