A befitting non-profit to celebrate this month of Thanksgiving is St. Vincent de Paul, an organization of lay Catholic men and women whose mission is to grow spiritually by helping others who have lost their way.
Society members offer friendship as well as spiritual and material support to individuals who are destitute, deprived, or in some need of assistance in order to help restore their dignity and their hope for the future. They accomplish their work through voluntary person-to-person contact.
History: St. Vincent de Paul was founded in 1833 in Paris, France. Twelve years later it was established in the United States. The first Conference was formed in 1895 in St. Louis, Missouri, today the home of the Society’s national headquarters. The country is divided into eight regions with 62 Diocesan Councils, 388 District Councils, 4,327 Conferences and more than 60,000 members.
The South Pinellas District Council is one of seven of the Diocesan Council of St. Petersburg. It is located at 384 15th Street, N., (33705); others are Upper Pinellas, East Hillsborough, West Hillsborough, Pasco, Citrus and Hernando.
Programs:
Food Center: The Food Center (401 15th Street, N) provides two well-balanced, nutritious meals –lunch and dinner – 365 days a year to those who frequent its doors for sustenance. Averaging close to 600 meals a day, the Food Center is the largest facility of its kind in Pinellas County.
Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program: The VA has been authorized to offer community-based grants through this program which provides supportive services to very low-income veteran families in or transitioning to permanent housing.
Family Shelter Program: This initiative works to stabilize families experiencing housing crisis by providing them with a safe environment to reside while they work to find more stable housing in the community. SVDP, in partnership with the Juvenile Welfare Board and Personal Enrichment through Mental Health Services (PEMHS), locate families through Tampa Bay 2-1-1 Cares.
Day Center: The center’s goal is to provide environmental respite for the homeless population in downtown St. Petersburg area during the day time and to provide one on one assessments with clients to gather information on their needs, goals, and expectations.
Center of Hope: The Center of Hope is an 85 single-room-occupancy transitional living program that provides housing for low-income and homeless veterans, non-veterans, and families. It is designed specifically for members of the community who are trying to successfully attain and maintain self-sufficiency and permanent housing, but have been unable to do so due to economic downturn, substance abuse, and/or physical and mental disabilities.
Thrift Store: The St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store recycles donated items for reuse in the community. Through generous public donations, the store is able to provide household goods, clothing, furniture and other necessities for free to those in need.
If you, or someone you know, is interested in donating to or volunteering in this non-profit, contact: maria@svdpsp.org or 727-954-7251 for more information.
