20% rise in help sought from St. Vincent De Paul in Mayo town

The Castlebar conference of the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) will be posting blue envelopes to houses in the Castlebar area as part of the SVP Annual Appeal.

Demand for help increased by more than 20 per cent throughout the year and with their annual church gate collection cancelled for a second year due to the pandemic, local SVP volunteers are asking for the support of the community to continue their work of assisting locals in need.

A particular focus for the volunteers has been the 'working poor' and those who have suffered due to a change in circumstances.

The blue envelope provides a number of options for donating. Cheques, drafts and money orders can be posted to the Galway office which will then forwarded to the local conference.

Other options explained on the back of the envelope include a phone number for making an online payment, with the ability to choose your local town to benefit from your contribution.

Cash donations can be delivered to the SVP office, Pavilion Road, or handed in to the local presbytery.

Remember, all contributions from the Castlebar area will be spent in the Castlebar area. Despite what one may think, you never know who could suddenly hit on hard times. Such people are often closer to us than we think.

The SVP volunteers of Castlebar and surrounding parishes wish to thank all those people and businesses who have already made donations, and would like to wish everyone a peaceful and happy Christmas.