SVP Christmas Appeal

 

Increasingly homes are finding it hard to keep up their energy bills with many in arrears and with expected increases in VAT and carbon tax set to include home fuels like coal and peat bircketes many families are at risk of fuel poverty.College bills are putting a strain on family budgets too. Wither its homes that are just above the threshold for grants or those those receiving grants for the first time and experiencing significant delays more and more families are coming to the SVP needing to tide them over.Then of course there's the pressures that come with Christmas and trying manage children's expectations. Families are put under increasing financial pressure on themselves. It can often take 5 to 6 months for families to get over the Christmas spend. 

This year we are relying on you more than ever as we expect to visit over 150,000 homes over the Winter months so we are expecting this Christmas to be a challenging time again for so many families around the country. 

2fm SVP Toy Appeal

Choose a toy to the value you would like to donate and we'll make sure as many children as we can in your local area wakes up with a gift on Christmas morning.

Alternative Networking

Volunteering Has Its Own Rewards

One of the main reason I enjoy volunteering is that you get to meet people you would not in the normal run of things. In Canteen I get to participate in activities with kids of all background and every corner of the country. In the SVP I meet disadvantaged families as well as spokes people government lobbyists. With Failte Isteach I teach a group mainly comprised of Poles, Lithuanian and Latvians. They are a real enthusiastic group and real egear to learn.

The added bonus of working with these groups is the opportunity to Network especially for those of us who are unemployed. At the moment I am doing a part time course in Web Technologies. Right now I'm helping out the SVP with a data mapping project. This going well and is nearing completion. I've also been asked to design a website for the Resource Centre in my home town. I'm hopping to include these projects in my practical work for the course. I'm meeting up with coordiator next week to find out what content she wants for the website. I'll put a link up on the blog when I'm finished so you can all let me know what think. Don't be too Harsh :-)

One thing I've been told about getting back to work after being unemployed for a period is that employers still expect you to have done something positive with your time. Hopefully this will improve my chances when I get back in the business of job hunting.