The last year could prove to have been one of St Vincent de Paul’s busiest – with half a million people thought to have contacted the charity looking for help. She said parents are put under pressure all year round, and will cut down on their food to make sure their children can eat. “Next week, I get an energy bill, I need to pay something off that so that I won’t be disconnected. So they would come to us looking for food, and people are cutting back on food, there is no doubt about that. But certainly, the younger generation they absolutely love the Vincent’s shops and charity shops – I see students in all of the shops and they would be very conscious not throwing things out and recycling and reusing.”

Source: Irish Examiner January 01, 2024 18:07 UTC