St. Vincent DePaul Society-click for more information
Members of the Society of St.Vincent de Paul (or "Vincentians") are men and women who strive to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to individuals in need. Some members go on home visits (always with a companion) to better assess the situation of our friends in need. Together we strive to find solutions to their difficulties with information and assistance in kind as available.

To volunteer for St. Vincent de Paul, click here.

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Saint Vincent de Paul Update

(July 2020)
Thank you for your continued support during these unprecedented times. Your contributions and prayers have enabled us to continue to support those in need. Since March, we have not been able to meet face to face with our friends but instead have been doing everything through phone calls. We mail gift cards for those in need of food rather than delivering our food boxes. It’s not quite as personal as we’d like, but there are so many that have been affected by the pandemic and need our help. We expect this to dramatically increase in the near future. We continue to meet on the first/third Thursdays, but virtually, of course. 
 
Rent and utilities are still our biggest expense and will continue to be. We know that several folks are behind in both and once the Governor’s moratorium lifts, there will be more need for help. Our financial position is currently strong, but that could be stressed soon. Instead of discussing those details, I’d like to share 3 stories of how our mission makes a difference in the lives of those we serve. Names were changed to protect confidentiality. 
 
A parishioner and her son had money that they wanted to give directly to a friend that we’d been helping for some time. Their experience really summed up what our mission means to all who are part of it. Here is a summary of what she told me: 

     “Thank you so much for helping us get in touch with John. We donated things to him yesterday and everyone truly should do that at least once. It is one thing giving to an organization and having them distribute it (that is important as well, don’t get me wrong), but actually looking someone in the eye who is homeless is such a different thing. We have given people money for food on the corner, but never stopped and intentionally did something for them. It was incredible! My son said, “It makes you realize it could be anyone.” The whole experience was so humbling. It was especially eye opening to do it through the eyes of a child. As adults, we often focus on why he ended up there, but all my son cared about is what we could do to help him going forward; about how this could help him in the next few weeks and give him hope. It was amazing and something I will not soon forget.”

 Next we met Susan who was a recently single working mother with three young children. She came from an abusive relationship and continued to face relationship challenges. When we first met with her she was stressed, exhausted, emotionally spent and at high risk of eviction. She was so overwhelmed that she was frozen in a state of inaction. We prayed with her, helped her figure out her finances, engaged and collaborated with the Pastor at the church she attended, got her enrolled in financial counseling and provided her with guidance and support. It took a little while for Susan to regain her confidence that she could dig out of the hole she was in, but the change we saw in her over time was truly inspiring. Susan was able to find strength and hope, and is now thriving. She transformed into a totally different person that took charge of her situation and made things happen.                     
 
Finally, to a call from Joe who was homeless, living in his car, trying to recover from his addictions, and needing dialysis three days a week. We met with him, listened to his heart wrenching story, gave some advice, prayed with him, and helped him get into an apartment. He was overjoyed and so very grateful that we could and would help him.  Three months later he reached out to us with an update:  

     “I’ve just graduated treatment and I'm getting ready to start home dialysis. I owe you guys my life because I couldn't find a reason to stop my self destruction. I want to thank you again. There is no way I can repay what you have helped me to get back. Hope you are well. God bless.”

 In all the individuals we meet, we are reminded not only of Jesus’s suffering but the amazing goodness of the Lord to provide. We feel blessed to be part of this ministry made possible by your fantastic support. Several have asked how they can help, so here are a couple of suggestions: 
 
· Continue to support the Giving Tree collection. At this time, gift cards are very helpful.
· If you speak Spanish and would be willing to help translate on a few calls with our Hispanic community, it would be greatly appreciated.
· We are part of AmazonSmile, so shop smile.amazon.com and select ‘Society of Saint Vincent De Paul Holy Spirit Conference’ as your charity and a portion of your purchase will be donated to us.
· Our annual Friends of the Poor Walk (main city-wide fundraiser) is September 26. Although it may be a virtual walk, please consider joining the walk or supporting one of our walkers. The website is  https://www.svdp-rochmn.org/fop-walk-2020.
 
Thank you again for your support. We’d love for you to come join us in this mission. If you would like more information or have questions, please contact Tom Fox 507-261-6882.    
 
 

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