When Moira arrived home after work to find her electricity cut off, she did what she never thought she’d have to do... with a heavy heart, she dialled SVP's number for the very first time. Because of your compassion and our network of caring volunteers across every county, help arrived that same day…
Who could you turn to in a crisis? If you’re lucky, you can name two or three people. But in Moira’s family, she was the one they'd call.
And it’s resilient spirits like Moira who find it so hard to pick up the phone and speak the hardest words — I need help.
Returning home with her children to find her house in darkness, Moira thought there was a power outage in the area. But with dawning horror, she realised their electricity had been cut off without warning. Or at least, she was given no warning.
After Moira and her partner separated, he diverted the post. It never occurred to her that the utility bills for their family home were being ignored. Moira had no one she could turn to. But even though she didn’t know it... she had you all along.
A Perfect Storm
"Imagine it... you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders already, and then you arrive home, flick the light switch, and nothing’s working… a week before Christmas." - James, SVP volunteer
With the compounding effects of the pandemic, job losses and the winter energy crisis, more people than ever are turning to SVP. And as one of the only charities directly helping people facing fuel poverty, your steadfast support is a true blessing.
The Crying Room
"We met her in ‘the crying room’ in our local church,” says volunteer, James. “You know, where you take the baby if they cry in mass. Maybe there’s something about that room because a lot of tears fell that day."
For Moira, it was the first time she could talk openly about her struggles. "There was a relief just in unburdening herself."
Because of your generosity, SVP was able to get Moira’s power back on before Christmas eve. And Moira will never forget it. "Her gas was about to be turned off too," James says, "but she refused help for that. She just took what she needed to see her through the worst of it."
“She was so grateful for the help... you saved this family’s Christmas” says James.
Thank you for keeping struggling families in your warm heart this winter.