St. Vincent de Paul Society

[Era Might]

Anyone know what exactly they do? I saw in the bulletin they're recruiting people after Mass this weekend, just started going to this parish so looking for something to do, but don't know what it actually entails.

Edited October 13, 2017 by Era Might

[Seven77]

I know that one of the ministries that they have is a food pantry. So, they collect donated food and distribute it to those in need.  And obviously, they are inspired by the example of St. Vincent de Paul. Maybe somebody here is a member and would know more?

[Guest]

I am a member of St Vinnies in our parish.  Parish groups of St Vincent de Paul are called Conferences.  Our Conference meets monthly - members visit those asking for assistance (bills and/or food commonly).  The way this works for us is that our state HO has a "Help Line" and people needing help phone in.  Those volunteers on the phones in HO access their files on a data base, or commence one. They then check from the suburb in which they are located to discern which Conference applies.  The Conferences phone in once daily or receive emails of those in their area requesting help.  From there, our Conference has a roster of who is available for visits each weekday.

We also have a Regional President and there is a meeting every couple of months.

During our meetings each month, we have a section titled "Reflection" and before we actually get into the nitty gritty of a Meetings.  Reflections are a formation time based on St Vincent de Paul and other SVP saints and Blesseds and their spirituality - all drawing on St Vincent de Paul.  When the Minutes are emailed out each month, our Conference includes the Reflection for the next Meeting.  There is pretty much a standard agenda for Meetings for all Conferences.

We raise funds in our Conference by various means.  Certainly for us our parish and schools are exceedingly generous.  We have "Badge Days" where we are in shopping centres with SVP tins, these are actually the public giving us donations and we provide them with a Vinnies badge.  We have raffles and anything else we can think of to keep funds healthy.   Our Conference is pretty good in the fund raising area but if a Conference is running short, then grants can be applied for from Head Office.  Also we are twinned with a Conference in the third world and give them various types of support including at times financial.  Our Conference is twinned with two overseas.

Our Conference supervisor as it were is Head Office where various (under) paid executives have a function.  Our Conference has a delegate to both Head Office meetings and also parish council meetings.

That really is it in a nutshell for us and I think we are probably a quite successful Conference.  I think probably there are various ways for St Vincent de Paul on the parish level to function.  One should be able to attend a Meeting or two without needing any commitment - just to observe.  Our current President is particularly focused on recruiting new members and is excellent at explaining things and answering questions.  Most of our members have been in our Conference since the year dot as it were.

The above is very much just as I thought of it.

Any questions......ask away and I will do what I can.

________________

A new member would be twinned with an existing member to go out on visits to observe and when they feel ready to be active as an SVP member and visitor.  We never visit alone, always in pairs.  During visits, it is ascertained what a person actually needs and how it can be addressed.  When the public phone in on the HO Help Line, they state what they need and number of adults and children involved etc.  Sometimes, when our members actually call other needs might become evident.

We do have in H.O. a trained financial counsellor for appointments.  In our Conference we do have a budget counsellor as well and she does attend budget counselling training meetings in H.O.

But as I said, the way things work in other countries might be different and best to advise your parish SVP member that you know nothing about  SVP and how it functions other than some advice from a Conference in Australia.  Advise that member that you have heaps of questions.

[Guest]

When SVP members call out to visit someone who needs assistance we take along a food parcel or parcels based on the number of adults and children involved.  Our parish has given us FOC space in the rear of the parish hall as our pantry.  We use our own funds to purchase what we need from shopping centres ......... an appointed member (Food Manager) in our Conference will research to find the best deals.

We also have food vouchers up to $30 per voucher as sometimes a person needing help might have special needs of some kind.  With a voucher, they can shop for their needs themselves.  We do not hand out vouchers willy nilly but are quite discerning about it.  People with SVP vouchers cannot buy alchohol or tobacco products.

As I see it, while St Vincent de Paul started a priestly congregation and religious order for women (Vincentian priests (Congregation of the Missions) and Daughters of Charity) he was very much interested in lay people, married or single for some reason, and involving them in a process of formation and a charism of helping the poor and those in need without exception.  It was probably Blessed Frederic Ozenam (through The Holy Spirit) who brought St Vincent's vision into a concrete functioning reality and on the face of things, some may think quite accidentally.  Rather it was the Hand of Divine Providence working in a somewhat irregular manner......or God sometimes writes very straight in crooked lines..............https://www.vinnies.org.au/page/About/History/Founder_of_the_St_Vincent_de_Paul_Society/

[Guest]

I think if you Google "St Vincent de Paul Society (then your location)" a whole heap of sites will come up with info.

Finally and a very important point, we are almost vowed to confidentiality re people we visit and other matters that common sense tells one should be kept in confidence.  I wrote "almost vowed" because of course, there are no vows in the SVP Society, but confidentiality is a most important indeed point and cannot be stressed enough.

Edited October 13, 2017 by BarbaraTherese

[Guest]

Just thought of something I missed out.

 

Some people phone in to the Help Line needing furniture and we do have in South Australia a warehouse of used furniture - some items we might buy but not often at all.  The furniture side of things and the distribution to those requesting same is all handled through Head Office - our end is only to supply name and address and what they need.

We of course have second hand clothing and furniture stores - proceeds I think (unsure) would go to Head Office.  We have SVP large bins throughout the state at all sorts of locations where the public can drop off used clothing.  For used furniture, the public should phone in on the SVP Donations line and our truck drivers discern if the donation is suitable and pick up and take to the warehouse.  We have to be discerning as warehouse space is limited and quite costly to dispose of what we cannot use.  Not only that, those in need should not be given any old thing as a matter of respect.  And respecting and esteeming all without exception is high on the St Vinnies formation agenda, reflecting St Vincent de Paul of course.

I know a fair bit more or less because I worked in HO voluntarily (on the phone Help and Donation Lines, other type of office jobs) for over 2 years and now over 4 years it must be in our parish Conference.

Edited October 13, 2017 by BarbaraTherese

[Anomaly]

14 hours ago, Era Might said:

Anyone know what exactly they do? I saw in the bulletin they're recruiting people after Mass this weekend, just started going to this parish so looking for something to do, but don't know what it actually entails.

My dad ran the local parish SVDP for forty years.  It depends upon the parish, community needs, and funding, what they do.  Some run food pantries, run thrift shops, and most help with cash, or food, to those who asks.   It very much is up to the people who participate and the support it receives.  

That parish was a small mission parish, and now it is one of several huge parishes.   It’s grown from distributing food and cash from the poor boxes, to owning homes for people to stay in free, huge food bank that supports a few dozen food pantries for other charities and other denomination churches, etc.

I think you may find it pretty fulfilling. 

[CatherineM]

Ours does furniture, clothes and food. Back home they had a homeless shelter. We give talks at their conferences about dealing with the mentally ill since that often goes hand in hand with poverty.