Joe Biden must be exhausted, I know I am! There came a time when I thought I didn’t care but obviously I did as I was stuck to the wireless night and day. Television had little to offer except the same faces saying the same things whereas the wonderful radio waves rolled all over the world. I keep banging on about 5 Live as my station of choice and it didn’t disappoint. So many interesting opinions from all over America and time for them to give their qualified opinions. So now that chapter is closed – on to the next. Trump won’t let it rest obviously and already sackings are taking place as he dismantles government agencies. He must have a chess board in his mind’s eye and he eliminating left and right as he jumps over and swings round pieces sitting in the squares. Such contempt.
It all adds to the dreadful state of affairs worldwide. This morning is sad. I stood out in the garden before nine o’clock, not a breath of air, not a sound to be heard not even a bird singing. A dark and gloomy Remembrance Sunday, a day when over the years I was always with my Dad and giving thanks that he came home from the war and remembering those in the family who didn’t. Now he is a memory too.
TRAGIC NEWS
It was with great sadness that the news came through that Helen Madden had died. So much loved by both adults and children. Roisin McAuley wrote this tribute and it sums up Helen and her life taken far too soon.
Shocked and saddened by the death of friend Helen Madden. Fondly remembered not just by her friends, children Rebecca and Simon, husband, Brian Walker and family circle, but by those who remember her as ‘Miss Helen’ in UTV’s ‘Romper Room’, and her acting career on stage and in films. She won awards for her acting and for her writing. She was also a non-religious celebrant for funerals, marriages and naming ceremonies. (I don’t think she liked the term Humanist.) Helen got covid-19. She died on Friday at her home in Belfast as the ambulance was arriving to take her to hospital. Rest in Peace, Helen.
REMEMBER CHARITIES NEED SUPORT MORE THAN EVER
I’m sure Frédéric Ozanam would be surprised and delighted to know that the society he set up in Paris in almost 190 years ago has grown into a world wide phenomenon. He knew sadness being one of 14 children and one of only three to reach adulthood. He worked hard as a student studying law but it was as a journalist he uncovered the appalling conditions in the slum areas of the city so with fellow student friends he set up the Conference of Charity to work with the poor. He selected the French priest Saint Vincent de Paul as the patron because he too knew hardship and cared in practical ways for those who needed help during their time of deprivation and fear.
Now the charity Saint Vincent de Paul is the biggest in the world and here in Northern Ireland members are coping with the limitations Coronavirus has brought to their work amongst the population.
Mary Waide is regional president in the North and she explained how their service has changed over the last few months.
“Visiting families was a vital part of our work but now we are unable to do this so we use helplines, telephone contact with those who have urgent requests perhaps for food or to sort out a domestic problem, practical help and advice.” She talks of teachers bringing pancakes and toast into class just to give children some form of nutrition and stave off the hunger pains. “Local shops help us make up food hampers to deliver to families in need and thanks to generous public donations we can pay for these; we also provide for families in other ways including by giving them gift vouchers so they can shop for themselves or with our help.”
One of the places many of us go to is the Saint Vincent de Paul shop either to donate or to look along the rails for suitable clothes, there is no longer a stigma about visiting a charity shop in fact it’s often a place to discover high fashion items. At term time parents find uniforms passed on when they no longer fit a child and these are sold for a reasonable price as the uniform grant is far from adequate. “We will never let a child go without a school uniform.” is Mary’s promise,
Mary, who has six children and eight grandchildren, is originally from Dungannon and now lives in Ballymena, has been a teacher all her life and can see where the need arises through dealing with children.
Crisis In The Community
“I believe that child poverty was at a crisis point even before Covid when around 19% of children lived below the poverty line, however, this has gone up since March. Living on benefit is difficult enough, it keeps the family ticking over but if something goes wrong, something that arises which is not factored into the budget, there is no money to cover it. For instance a child needs a pair of shoes that fit or an unexpected bill arrives, even the best manager of money doesn’t know where to turn. The low waged are also in this position and when furlough ends there will be unemployed people who have worked all their lives and will find it very difficult and families will go hungry. People have said to me ‘surely to goodness there are not people living in poverty in this day and age.’ If only they knew.”
It’s all right for the government to spout off that there are ways and means of getting benefits but as Mary points out universal credit may be available but it takes at least five weeks to process. The need is much too urgent to wait.
At least Boris Johnson has decided children need to eat and has pledged money for meals during holiday times.
Needs vary but the charity is there with a wide variety of assistance. Perhaps people have to move from furnished accommodation to unfurnished in which case they can find furniture in the shops as well as items to make a house a home.
Mary is also a member of the National Safeguarding Committee. I asked her what safeguarding means.
“Basically being alert to all situations. For instance abuse, mental, physical and emotional is on the increase behind closed doors. We were the privileged ones to be invited into homes especially to meet with women suffering abuse but we can no longer do this so it’s a case of being vigilant, listening to callers and working with Women’s Aid, in this way we become involved and can offer help. We do what we can but it’s never enough.
Christian Charity For Everyone
The organisation sees women and men turn to loan sharks or paramilitaries in their despair. “It’s quite common and you can’t blame them,” Mary added: “But we are here, we are a Christian charity helping people of all backgrounds and cultures, we are totally non-judgemental and everything is in the strictest confidence so if we see a big television or mobile phones which some people condemn and wonder why there are these ‘luxury items’ when there is no money to buy food, we realise that things can happen suddenly, one minute a lovely home and next the breadwinner has fallen into circumstances they can do nothing about it and there’s no income anymore. ”
Such is the extreme trauma some families are going through here isn’t a word to cover todays traumatic crisis. Local MLAs and councillors are supportive but what about the top people in Stormont? Mary gives a smile “we are working on this.” she confirms.
“When I joined the society, I experienced the warmth of the spirit of the Vincentian Family and as Regional President, I will be placing a focus on priorities around child care, education, membership support, our shops and social justice. I believe this is what God wants of me and spirituality must be at the heart of decisions made by SVP across the region and I will endeavour to make sure everyone works together in order to support one another.”
RUDE MAN
I gave up on Strictly Come Dancing after about fifteen minutes or so and returned to my Netflix steries of the moment Greenleaf – brilliant. But I did see John Cleese reading out the instructions for voting. What a rude man he is and I’m surprised that the producers allow him to act as if he was bored to death and falling asleep even as he spoke until he was sinking out of shot and snoring. I agreed with him but not a good image for the programme. Even the two presenters seemed embraces. Never rated this entertainer, maybe years ago he had a modicum of humour in his youth but to me anyway he has become a bitter old man.