St Vincent De Paul: Charity calls 'are not genuine'

[GweylTah]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6944850.stm





Half of all calls for help to a leading charity in Derry are not genuine, it has said.
St Vincent De Paul said it often had to refurnish flats as a minority of people who use their temporary accommodation sell off furniture before they leave.

The area president, Cormac Wilson, said it had now become difficult to distinguish who was in actual need.

Father David O'Kane, a chaplain of St Vincent de Paul, said they took requests for help at face value.

"If someone arrives arrive at the parochial house, we would take their request, write down a name and an address and we have to pass that on to St Vincent de Paul," he said.

"We may have some doubts about it, but we have to still give them some hearing.

"If there is any doubt, we meet once a week and we bring up different cases and report back.

"We try to be as responsible as we can with people's money."

Jimmy Doyle, who has been a volunteer for more than 20 year, said it was an ongoing problem.

"You find out who is genuine and who isn't," he said.

"But at the end of the day, we are here to help and it is not us being conned, but the the people who are donating money and goods.

"However, he said he hoped it would not put people off donating to the charity."

Anyone who is thought to be not in need but accepting charity will be identified and told they will not receive anything in the future, he said.

[pintsofguinness]

that's terrible

[his holiness nb]

Just Derry 
Happens all over.

[Stay goalside of your man]

I personally know of one family when I was growing up where the father had a reasonable job and he was getting St Vincent De Paul to pay the ESB bill for him.
The bollix kept money that he collected for the hurling club as well.
He was never forgiven, some people have no morals.

[his holiness nb]

I knew a family in North Co Dublin in which the father claimed the dole and worked during the day and as a bouncer at nights.
He drove a brand new car every year.
Two of the daughters and one son, all living at home, worked too.

They got a hamper from Vincent de Pauls every Christmas.

Goalside is right, some people have no morals.