The Saint Vincent de Paul Society


image found at www.independentcharities.org

Background Information:
Founded in 1833 by Frederic Ozanam, a 20 year old French studednt in Paris, the Saint Vincent de Paul Society is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to social service, providing tangible assistance to people in need through person to person contact. The St. Vincent de Paul Society gives all kinda of aid to people who are in need. Aid is provided in the form of intervention, advocacy for those who are defensless or cannot speak for themselves, consultation, and often through direct financial or in-kind service.

To the members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, certain ideals are valued above others. They value the dignity of the human person. The members identify Jesus with the poor and defenseless, not only as one of the poor but also as the Evangelizer and Servant of the poor. The St. Vincent de Paul Society believes that poverty of the spirit is the primary beatitude and that prayer is absolutely essential. The virtues of humilitay and charity are key, as well as the ideals of friendship, soidarity, and community. These are some of the core values of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.


Why I Chose The Saint Vincent de Paul Society:
I realize that someone else has already done the SVdP Society as their organization of faith, but I had a strong desire to do it as well because i have been personally involved with the SVdP Society for some time now. I began working for the Society with my mother, Bev, in order to earn service hours for my Confirmation. It was nothing big. I would go down the the St. Margaret of Scotland church basement once every month, after mass and i would load buckets with food to be delivered to families involved in the program. Other groups of people would do the shopping for the food and another group of people would personally deliver the food to the families in need. Everyone did their part to keep things running smoothly.

At first i thought of my involvement in the Society as just a way to get my service hours, but i stuck with it even after i finished the required number of hours, even to this day. I have grown accustomed to "doing the baskets" once a month. I feel like it is a part of my faith, or the way that i practice my faith. I am happy and proud to be involved in an organization of such strong faith. I feel like I am doing much more when I am simply preparing food for delivery, rather than when I am dropping my change or lunch money into a collection basket, not that there is anything wrong with that.


image found at http://www.svdpusa.com/


HOME