Going to Those in Need Since Faith in Action. Summer 2015

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1 Going to Those in Need Since Faith in Action Summer 2015 Your donation: Feeding Helping the us, Community Help others

2 The Life of Your Donated Belongings In order to fully understand how your possessions have blessed others, we have included the evolution of a donation within the pages of this newsletter START The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me? But... the good Samaritan reversed the question: If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him? ~Martin Luther King, Jr. There s a reason why the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is unique in the way we provide our services! In 1831 Frederic Ozanam, under the guidance of Sister Rosalie Rendu, founded the Home Visit. The practice of going in pairs to visit the homes of those in need was based upon her belief that we should interact face-to-face with our friends to best assess their needs, just as St. Vincent de Paul did in 16th century France. In St. Vincent s honor, we call our traveling volunteers Vincentians. Almost 200 years later the Society still uses this personalized practice as the cornerstone of our ministry in over 140 countries. As Vincentians, our hearts beat with the heartbeat of the poor. We do not judge those we serve. Rather, Vincentians seek to understand our clients as we would a brother or sister. For us to grow in our spirituality, we must invest ourselves in others as Jesus has done for us. When we go on a Home Visit, we are entering into their home instead of making them come to ours. Not only does this allow us to bring kindness and love, but it gives the client an opportunity to do the same. Many times we see great joy on the faces of clients when they are able to offer us something as small as a glass of water. Asking for help is tough, but doing it within the comfort of one s own home allows them to better be at peace with their current situation. It is important to us that those we serve retain their sense of dignity while we assist them. Therefore, our volunteers take the time to care for each individual or family they visit. Although our method may not be the easiest way of helping others, we find it to be the most efficacious! By carrying out the Vincentian model, we are assured to grow in faith with our brothers and sisters in Christ. A call for help arrives Home Visit is made The science of charity reform is not transmitted through books...as much as by climbing stairs to visit the home of the poor, kneeling at his bed, suffering from the same cold as he does, and discovering the secret of grief-stricken heart in the course of a friendly conversation. ~Frederic Ozanam

3 Be kind and love, for love is your finest gift to the poor. They will appreciate your kindness and your love more than all else you can bring to them. If you wish to be loved, you must love, and if you have nothing to give, give yourself. ~ Sister Rosalie Rendu This past year we provided $347,000 worth in clothing assistance Mary Kay donated 3,500 skirts and an anonymous donor provided 11,000 shirts which will be used to fill clothing vouchers and to be sold in our stores This past year, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul furnished over 225 homes and provided $143,000 worth of furniture and appliance assistance! I like donating my things to St. Vincent de Paul because I know it will help someone in my own community. ~ Mark, who recently became the executor of his parents estate Our resale shops received a tractor trailer full of beautiful furniture from the retail store The Dump this past March. Lorenzo Caballero, Manager, generously recommended our organization for receipt of 73 pieces of furniture at no charge! The items ranged from headboards, dressers and sofas, to artwork and armchairs. We are so grateful for their generous gift! Donation is picked up The environment was great and very welcoming to the volunteers it was a great experience. Jennifer C. Student Coordinator for Community Service Connection at the University of Texas Pan American The sense of community and friendship that comes with volunteering is overwhelming and inspiring. During one of my volunteer experiences there, we actually got to interact with people and families At times there was a language barrier, but there was still a mutual feeling of gratitude and understanding between us. I really enjoyed volunteering with the St. Vincent de Paul community. National Honor Society Member Lamar High School Donation is processed With the recent Memorial Day flooding, many families throughout Houston were displaced due to water entering their homes and destroying furniture and belongings. Our Vincentian volunteers stepped up and donated their time at a local resource center where they issued clothing, furniture, and food vouchers to help get families back on their feet. Over 2,000 individuals and families donated their furniture, clothing and household items by either visiting one of our resale shops, Big Blue Bin locations or calling for a pick up at their home. Our voucher ministry would not be possible without your generosity. Thank you! For BIG BLUE BIN locations go to svdphouston.org/donate/donate-goods Volunteers devoted 5,621 hours to helping serve our voucher ministry by receiving, sorting and processing your daily donations. Are YOU ready to serve? volunteer@svdphouston.org

4 Joy Emily s story parallels the accounts of many heard by our Vincentians during their home visits. After having 6 children and many years together, Emily s husband left without notice - leaving her to support the household on her own. When we arrived to the apartment there were only 2 mattresses being shared amongst the 7 of them. Her eldest daughter recalled the air mattresses they once slept on, which had popped, forcing them to wad up sheets to create padding between their bodies and the hard floor. Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. Matthew 25:45 Thanks to your donations, we were able to provide Emily and her family with 4 twin bed sets, a sleeper sofa, a new 6-setting dining table, a coffee table, and side tables. The giggling and excitement on the children s faces was overwhelming when they realized they now could sleep in their own beds at night! After setting up all of the new furniture and chatting a bit, we thanked Emily for Friendship 1 twin bed set $ full bed set $ queen bed set $ king bed set $ Dining table for 4 $ Dining table for 6 $ allowing us to document this journey; she quickly replied with a smile and said No Thank you! It s the least I can do for as much as you have helped me and my family! Providing this service requires a combination of costs to the Society, as well as utilizing donated items. We always give new boxsprings and mattresses, and if we do not have enough inventory of dining sets, we purchase from a wholesaler. The cost of this Home Visit was $ worth of furniture and $ in labor and vehicle expenses, for a total of $1, Visit us online at svdphouston.org Hope We, at the Society, would like to pass along a big Thanks! to you, our donors from Emily and her family!

5 Coming Soon Donate to a BIG BLUE BIN Campaign! Watch for details in the Fall Newsletter 2403 Holcombe Boulevard Houston, TX 77021