Responding to a crisis - Time to be determined and positive

Earlier this week the children’s charity Barnardos announced that, because of funding difficulties, it had decided to withdraw its services for a week and put its staff on unpaid leave.

This decision came after pay cuts, a decision not to pay staff increments and many other cost-cutting measures all taken in an effort to minimise the impact declining contributions and state support have on the vulnerable children they work with.

Some months ago, the Society of St Vincent de Paul, one of the great bulwarks against poverty in our society, warned that because of unprecedented demand for its support and falling income, it could not offer the level of response today’s crisis merited.