Madam, – During the 1980s recession I was president of the conference of the Society of St Vincent de Paul in Palmerstown. Five hundred families were taken from the inner city and rehoused in a new social housing estate in a neighbouring parish. These families were 90 per cent unemployed, and were confronted with a multitude of social evils. We were asked to help.
Bishop Dermot O’Mahony (auxiliary bishop of Dublin), when addressing an SVP seminar, posed the question, “Is there some way we can involve the families we serve in the work of the society?”
I was aware that in our area there was now an “army” of skilled people without a job. We decided to set up a jobs bureau. Invitations were sent to unemployed people to give their details. It didn’t take long to get off. We advertised the service. There was an immediate response.
An awareness took place of the good that comes from neighbour working with neighbour. Garages on back lanes were made available. We set up charity shops – clothing, furniture, bric-a-brac items were distributed to deprived families and sold at affordable prices to families on the margins. We advertised by word of mouth and local newsletters. Collections were made from within the triangle bounded by Maynooth-Balbriggan-Greystones, initially by conference members and volunteers with their vans and cars. As finances grew, we acquired our own transport, driven by our volunteers.
We involved families in gardening. Large neglected gardens were made available by elderly people. Women and children were involved in cultivation. Flowers, vegetables, and even Christmas trees were produced and distributed to families and churches.
The samples of “work by the families” set out here are a fraction of activities undertaken. All work was voluntary. No one was employed. We were able to help families to a greater extent than before mainly because of their involvement in our work. Their dignity benefited from this fact.
Then came the Celtic Tiger. Our projects ran out of steam. Men and women went back to their jobs. We were all set to live happily ever after.
As we now know, the Celtic Tiger didn’t hang around. He has faded into a Celtic mist. The dole offices are bursting at the seams.
Given what was possible in the 1980s recession, there is no reason why the same can’t be done now. All it takes is a thought, like Bishop O’Mahony’s thought. Similar projects can be started by any person or group. Do it now and let it be said of you, as was said of us by the national president of SVP at its annual general meeting: “There are books written about how projects like this can be established. These people didn’t write a book. They just went and did it.” – Yours, etc,