Laois families face food poverty this Christmas as cost of living soars

Many families across Laois are facing food poverty this Christmas as the cost of living continues to put pressure on households. With gifts, festive events and all sorts of other costs at this time of year, there are lots of people struggling to keep up with the financial challenges that Christmas time can bring.

However, the festive season only exacerbates an existing problem with finances for many. Manager of Portlaoise Family Resource Centre, Joan Bolger, told the Leinster Express / Laois Live that “food poverty is an issue all year round for families now.”

Bolger emphasised that the cost-of-living crisis is particularly impacting families in Laois who are living on low incomes and are working. She explained that after all the bills are paid “it leaves very little for families.”

Along with the wide range of other services Portlaoise Family Resource Centre provides in the community, from early years childcare to therapeutic services for adults and children, the centre also supports families throughout the year who are facing food poverty.

The centre’s manager said: “We hear it from families all the time about how tight it is and especially if you have teenagers or a number of young children looking in the press to see what’s in it. It’s great if there is something in your press, but a lot of families are struggling from week to week.”

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Of course, the financial pressures already faced by families is magnified over Christmas as well as the expectations. Portlaoise Family Resource Centre partners with Tesco numerous times a year for a food appeal to help support struggling families. This Christmas, they will also give food hampers to any families who are in need in Laois. As Bolger said, “these things are a struggle around this time.”

Food hampers are among the many festive initiatives and events planned by the centre over Christmas. Christmas youth parties, parent and toddler events, and choir outings will all be available to the community this month. As well as this, support will be on offer to any families who need it, as Bolger remarked: “Tensions can get quite high in relationships and so we’ll support families around that.”

Counselling is one of the important services provided by the centre. Bolger stated that gambling is a particularly evident issue at this time of year and they provide low-cost and no-cost counselling sessions with a gambling counsellor. Whether you’re struggling with gambling or are affected by it, you can avail of this very valuable service.

Despite the financial challenges faced by families at this time of year, Money Advice and Coordinator for Laois MABS, Pauline Bunyan, said that the uptake of their services at Christmas is “unfortunately low.”

She explained: “Always at this time people are too busy shopping, getting ready for Christmas etc. It is like everyone wants to bury their heads until Christmas is over. People start to come to us around the end of January and February when the bills start coming in.”

To help families make the most of Christmas and manage their budgets as best as possible, MABS has collated a list of budget-friendly activities for over the festive season. From DIY decorations, festive nature scavenger hunts, and movie nights in, there’s lots of ideas for making memories with loved ones this December.

MABS also have useful and practical tips for people such as planning a budget and prioritising what’s most important. They also caution people about ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ options. They warn that although it may seem like an easy option now, they will eventually have to be paid.

Laois MABS advises: “It can be easy to reach for a credit card or a Buy Now, Pay Later option, especially when ads promise ‘no payments until February’. However, small instalments can add up quickly, and missed payments may result in fees or negatively impact your credit record. If you use credit, make a plan to pay it off as soon as possible in the new year and only borrow what you can afford to repay comfortably.”

If people are in need of help this Christmas with managing their finances, they can call their local MABS centre in Portlaoise from Monday to Friday between 9am to 5pm on 0818 07 2620.

People in Laois can also help local families this Christmas through donating new toys or making a donation to Portlaoise Family Resource Centre which can be put towards play or art therapy for children.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme