Charity gives out over €6k each week
by Danielle Harney Updated: Wednesday, 1st December, 2010 6:00pm
The Athlone branch of St Vincent de Paul is now distributing between €6,000 and €8,000 to families most in need of financial aid every week and around 200 requests are being made to the four local conferences on a weekly basis.
Already, a total of €70,000 has been distributed to families in need in the area so far this year.
Not surprisingly, local members estimate that 2010 looks set to be the busiest year in around 60 years. The money distributed every week is mostly used for basic groceries, electricity and fuel bills. The charity is also seeing a huge demand for services this winter, with the cold snap of weather and the demands of Christmas battling against the government cuts in fuel allowance and the Christmas bonus.
Two members from the St Mary’s Conference spoke to the Westmeath Independent this week, in advance of a massive fundraising event in aid of St Vincent de Paul, taking place in the Athlone Regional Sports Centre in Lissywollen next Thursday December 9. Up to 300 people are expected to take part in the sports centre’s mega charity day next week, which will include the first ever indoor triathlon along with a hockey tournament, soccer tournament and aqua aerobics.
Martin Fallon has been a member of the St Mary’s conference for just over a year now. It covers half of St Mary’s parish in the town, as well as cases in rural areas such as Drumraney and Ballymahon.
He said the conference is currently receiving around 50 letters, or requests, a week.
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