We'll have to agree to differ but I've seen first hand where people with the ability to free up tens of thousands by just trading down their cars were given money. I work with a few guys from ballymun and the running joke at christmas is when they tell the VDP give "help" to those who don't need it (and didn't ask for it).The volunteers (mostly elderly with svp) are calling to families in their homes. If they choose to lie to gain charitable help then that's sickening. Volunteers can only go by what they're told and can see around them. Long time volunteers become quite astute as to what they're being told and get to know the families in the area. If it's a transient population with lots of renters then that becomes more difficult. And don't for one second think huge sums are being handed out. Far from it. Educational assistance is huge as is back to school and Christmas.
She should have called the police. Getting bread money from well meaning amateurs does nothing other than enable her husbands addiction. It would be no different to paying off his drug debts. I wouldn't be surprised if they do that too.Charities, like many other organisations, don't always get it right but in my view, the SVDP get it right far more often then they get it wrong. They don't judge and we should be careful also when we don't know the full facts of a story. I know of someone who got help from them, her husband is earning €100k a year and from the outside you'd think nothing was wrong, big house, big car, big wig down the golf club. Reality was he was up to his ears in debt through gambling, would put the months wages on a football match and when his wife tried to leave, he put her in hospital. She went to the SVDP one weekend when she had no food for her and the kids and he was off on a bender some place.
The line I heard is that "We're not here to judge people and if someone asks for help we don't say no".
Sure, just like nobody commits welfare or tax fraud.I can't believe that there is a significant number of people seeking help from a charity like SVP when they don't need it. Whilst I'm sure it does happen I can only hope that these cases are in the vast minority.
You would hope they are also in the vast minority.Sure, just like nobody commits welfare or tax fraud.
I'd suggest that when the Vinnie de Paul arrives at the home of someone has liquid assets worth tens of thousands of Euro which they can dispose of with minimal impact on their lifestyle they should not give them money which was donated by people who have much lower incomes.Hi Purple,
Can you offer a solution as to how the likes of St-VdP should operate?
So do I. I also believe a lot of it doesn't.I, probably to my own nativity, believe a lot of the work SVP does goes to worthy recipients.
I'd suggest that when the Vinnie de Paul arrives at the home of someone has liquid assets worth tens of thousands of Euro which they can dispose of with minimal impact on their lifestyle they should not give them money which was donated by people who have much lower incomes.
Maybe treat the money, and the people who gave it to them, with a bit more respect.
I spent years collecting for the SVdP and have seen first hand how they "distribute" that money.I'd suggest you volunteer your time in a deprived area and see first hand how svp is much needed. Perhaps ballymun as you mentioned above. And I think volunteers are very aware that its donations they're handing over and don't do so without asking questions
I agree completely. How smug is it to dive out money to those who don't need it when there are so many who do.The high moral ground is a great place to be and long may it last. But, unless you've stocked future lotto numbers that will win you the jackpot or work in the field where there are huge guaranteed bonuses, you cannot afford to be smug. We can easily run into another recession, our investments can turn sour, our well paying jobs can cease, for some reason or other our life savings can disappear and let's not forget divorce which brings poverty to many too. Health is a major issue. If any of these fails we can slip from a smug existence to poverty almost overnight.
She should have called the police. Getting bread money from well meaning amateurs does nothing other than enable her husbands addiction. It would be no different to paying off his drug debts. I wouldn't be surprised if they do that too.