A Labour TD has been hailed for his generosity in donating a car he won in a raffle for the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) back to the charity.

Junior minister Kevin Humphreys from Sandymount in south Dublin was announced as winner of the draw on Tuesday 1 September for the Skoda Fabia supplied by Annesley Williams.

But when contacted by raffle organisers, Humphreys offered to donate the car towards the SVP East region’s fundraising efforts.

“The funds received from the proceeds of the raffle and Mr Humphreys’ generosity will be used at local conference level in the east region to help those in greatest need in our community.” said regional president Liam Casey.

He added that the gesture comes at a crucial time for the charity which has significant funding issues in the East region due in no small part to the rise in homelessness around the capital.

“In addition to helping families with back-to-school costs during the past few months, our members are heavily involved in helping families struggling in emergency accommodation throughout the region in hotels and B&Bs,” said Casey.

SVP volunteers are seeking to help families with a range of practical issues that arise from living in cramped conditions and the uncertainty of where they might be living from week to week.

“The range of issues facing our volunteers who visit these families seeking to provide practical and emotional support include, health, education, diet, social and psychological.

“With winter and Christmas approaching we are bracing ourselves for even more calls for assistance than last year and that is why the donation of this prize by Minister Humphreys is really appreciated.

“Anyone who wishes to donate to the East region should go to our website at www.svp.ie/east where donations can be made by credit or debit cards or Paypal.”