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When Tony lost his wife, he did not know where to turn.
But thanks to compassionate support such as yours, he had a shoulder to lean on.
Tony is an elderly man who lives in a rural town. He originally contacted St Vincent de Paul to get help paying for the funeral. This is a major cost for anyone, but for someone living solely on a state pension, it is a huge burden.
SVP volunteers used kind contributions, such as yours, to help Tony with the funeral costs.
Then they organised an appointment for him to see the Money Advice and Budgeting Services (MABS). Tony's wife had always managed the bills and when she passed away, they started to mount up. SVP went guarantor on a Credit Union loan so that he could clear this debt.
Tony is now on top of his bills but if an unexpected expense crops up, he needs help.
What also stands out about Tony is that he has no one there for him but the volunteers. Loneliness is often the biggest problem faced by older people living alone. This is especially true during winter and Christmas time. SVP volunteers now visit Tony each month and are trying to encourage him to become less isolated.
Your kindness, felt through the caring work of our volunteers, means we can be there with so much more than just material support this Christmas.
"I have gotten the greatest comfort from St Vincent de Paul," says Tony, "not only by the financial help, but by the fact that I have someone to talk to and someone who has shown that they actually care."
Please consider a gift today and help ensure people like Tony receive the support they need. Thank you.
Based on a true story from an individual helped by SVP. Names and some details have been changed for confidentiality.
