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Disaster Services Update

Disaster Services Update https://ssvpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Picture3.jpg 608 407 SVDP USA SVDP USA //ssvpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/svdp-usa-ssvp-int.png February 3, 2022 February 3, 2022

On December 30 of last year, a wind-swept wildfire tore through suburban neighborhoods between Denver and Boulder (Superior, Louisville, and unincorporated Boulder County), forcing the evacuation of thousands of people, destroying 1,084 homes, severely damaging 149 homes, and making it the most destructive blaze in state history.

The fire, as intense as it was sudden, sent tens of thousands of residents of Boulder County scrambling to leave department stores and houses on Thursday as fire trucks swarmed the area. Though wildfires are seen as less of a threat in suburban areas, especially in December, a period of intense drought had created the conditions for the flames to spread, destroying houses, a shopping complex, and a hotel.

Evacuees fled the fire zones under plumes of smoke that clouded the sky for miles, not knowing if their houses would make it through the night. Roads and highways in the Denver metro area were jammed with thousands of residents trying to flee.

Wildfires in the American West have been worsening – growing larger, spreading faster, and reaching into mountainous elevations that were once too wet and cool to have supported fierce fires. What was once a seasonal phenomenon has become a year-round menace, with fires burning later into the fall and into the winter.

Last week, DSC conducted a customized training on DSC’s Programs for over 25 Vincentians within the Denver Council and associated Conferences. The training focused on how Councils and Conferences can leverage DSC’s grants and programs to build capacity for the local Vincentian response to the devastating wildfires that have swept across Colorado. In addition, DSC spent a large portion of the training on how Vincentians can provide Disaster Case Management services to wildfire survivors.

“The training recently provided by SVdP’s Disaster Services Corporation (DSC) to Denver Metro Council and Conference members significantly expanded our concept of assistance. While we are experienced in dealing with evictions, homelessness, rent and mortgage shortfalls and need for help with utility and other payments, the need to work with FEMA, the SBA and the Red Cross in addition to county and state disaster organizations is new. There are additional and important areas to discuss with fire survivors as short and long term needed assistance is identified and initiated. As our involvement with Marshall fire survivors comes into clearer focus, we look forward to working closely with DSC.” – Patrick L. Hanafee, President, SVdP Denver Metro Council

After a disaster hits, what should my Council do next?

Contact your Council Disaster Representative (If your Council has one)
Impacted SVdP Council contacts the SVdP Regional Vice President AND their DSC Regional Disaster Representative with a needs assessment, request for DSC grant funding, and/or DSC program support
DSC Regional Disaster Representative contacts DSC SVdP USA to relay the need and any SVdP Council request
DSC participates on national disaster coordination calls with FEMA and NVOAD and support Regional Disaster Representatives and SVdP Council on State VOAD and local COAD calls
DSC works with the DSC Regional Disaster Rep and SVdP Council on distributing grant funding and/or rolling out relief and recovery programs

What support services and programs can Councils expect from Disaster Services Corporation SVdP USA?

DSC Preparedness Training and Exercise Program

DSC conducts training for Vincentian volunteers from around the nation at the Mid-Year Meeting, Annual Assembly, Regional Meetings and individual Councils. It is DSC’s goal to have trained Vincentian disaster response teams in each of the Society’s eight regions.

Rapid Response Team Training: This training consists of how to deploy in teams of four to assist SVdP Councils in disaster impacted areas. The Teams follow an Incident Command Model and provide support to our local Vincentians on how best to organize local relief and recovery efforts.
Preparedness Training: Activities to cover training at the National Council’s Mid-Year Meeting, Annual Conference, Regional Meetings, and Councils as requested and to build capacity and grow the capabilities of the Council(s) and the Region(s) to respond to disasters.
General Disaster Training: Training in Disaster Case Work, Case Management, Fund Raising for Disaster Recovery, working with local VOADs and Emergency Management and others.
Parish Recovery Assistance Training: In conjunction with the TEEX Division of Emergency Management, of Texas A &M University, training on how to assist clients in local parishes during the recovery phase of
Resiliency and Business Continuity Training: To help Councils prepare a Council Emergency Response Plan for an All-Hazards Disaster Preparedness Conference(s) conducted by Subject Matter Experts to train Vincentians on best practices in disaster preparedness and recovery.

DSC Grant Program

DSC’s Disaster Grant Program manages the distribution and reporting of Rapid Response Grants (RRGs) and Long-Term Recovery Grants (LTRGs) funded through the National Disaster Fund to assist Councils and Conferences.

Rapid Response Grants (RRGs): Provide up to $5,000.00 to SVDP Councils and Conferences to meet the immediate needs of individuals and families suffering from disasters.
Long-Term Recovery Grants: Provide up to $20,000.00 to SVDP Councils and Conferences to address long-term charitable needs, and fund programs for longer durations after the initial phase of a given disaster.

Parish Recover Assistance Centers (P-RACs)

Deploy to key parish community centers following a disaster to provide a holistic approach to Disaster Recovery through strategic outreach to survivors that may be socially, geographically and/or culturally isolated during the recovery process. The P-RACs provide immediate services and resources, connecting survivors to community services. P-RACs often require other Catholic organizations working together to deliver critical information and referral services along with immediate relief to the survivors of a given disaster. P-RACs are led by trained Rapid Response Teams, that will train others, provide information on FEMA, SBA, ONA, State and Local Disaster Programs, and provide assistance, supplies, registration, etc.

House In A Box

House in a Box ® is one of the most well-known programs of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. The program helped DSC win the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) Non-Government Organization of the Year Award in 2012 and again in 2021. House in a Box® provides new furniture and furnishings to families that have lost everything due to disasters and who may be forced into situational poverty as a result of natural or manmade disasters. DSC buys furniture and furnishings in volume through pre-screened vendors, so that it can provide a starter household furniture kit at a greatly reduced price. DSC coordinates all logistics for the House in a Box ® and ensures that there is no duplication of benefits. The “House in a Box®” gives dignity to families in crisis as it gives them a new and fresh start. All families receive the same new items which are packaged for efficiency of delivery. The program is scalable to the size of the family and starts at $3,000 for a family of four.

One package includes: beds, linens, dishes, pots and pans, dressers, silverware, bathroom setup, dinette and a couch.

Establishing a House in a Box ® Program in a Disaster Recovery area, begins with the assessment of the need by the RRT which includes the size of the disaster and the number of affected Households needing assistance. A minimum of 20 families is required before it is cost effective to establish a House in a Box ® Program. This assessment also includes assessing the capabilities of Catholic Organizations/Other Organizations in supporting a House in a Box ® Program. This would include SVDP Council(s), SVDP Conference(s), Knights of Columbus, Catholic Charities, Daughters of Charity, Diocese(s), Salvation Army, and Red Cross.

DSC’s primary objective is to provide support to SVDP Councils and Conferences throughout all phases of disaster. DSC’s programs all have a focus on reducing the likelihood for families to fall into situational poverty due to natural or man-made disasters.

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2-3-2022 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders

2-3-2022 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders https://ssvpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Middlecamp_Ralph_lo-res-e1625146342641.jpg 1367 1520 SVDP USA SVDP USA //ssvpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/svdp-usa-ssvp-int.png February 3, 2022 February 3, 2022

Dear Vincentian Friends,

Welcome to the first week in February, when we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation, traditionally known as Candlemas Day and as the end to the Christmas season. But February 2 is also Groundhog Day. Tradition has it that the animal’s shadow predicts the end of winter weather. Winter is just one of the few things I wish we were done with right now.

This week’s odd observance is immortalized in the 1993 film Groundhog Day, which I happen to enjoy as a comedy and a parable. A Google search of the plot synopsis reads, “A cynical TV weatherman finds himself reliving the same day over and over again when he goes on location to the small town of Punxsutawney to film a report about their annual Groundhog Day.”

I have joked that some of our Council meetings have a Groundhog Day feel to them, with our reoccurring agendas and commentary. The experience of living in a repeating cycle is one to which many can relate. Right now, I think many of our days in COVID isolation feel a bit like that, too. Day after day, we may maintain a very familiar schedule. When will it end so we can move on?

If Groundhog Day is a film parable, what are the lessons we can take from it? Here are a couple of thoughts: After the reality of the situation is accepted and after moving on from being depressed, the lead character, played by Bill Murray, decides to work on being a better person. He starts to really observe the people around him.

With the luxury of getting to repeat each day, Murray’s character, Phil, sees things he previously missed about the people he interacts with. He is more intentional about how he lives each day. We can all benefit from being a little slower to judge, spending more time listening, and appreciating the people and places we encounter.

This big city weatherman thinks and acts as though covering this silly event is beneath him. After being stuck in this one day for months, his attitude changes. Sometimes, we think the tasks at hand are beneath us, and we miss the value of our own work and the work of others.

Eventually, Phil decides to try new and positive ways to make the day better for himself and those around him. Many of his efforts initially fail, but he takes the opportunity to try again and learn from the mistakes he made the previous day. Along the way, he gets things right. Unlike Phil, we really don’t need to be trapped in a time loop to learn from our failures. They are often our best teachers. In our conferences we often discourage creative ideas – especially those of new members – when we say, “We already tried it, and it didn’t work.”

The major lesson Phil learns is the power of simple kindness – of just being nice to people. He comes to find pleasure in helping others. Of course, he eventually gets the attention of his love interest, too. As Vincentians, we know the value of simple kindness. Mentoring our founders, Blessed Rosalie Rendu told them, “Be kind and love, for love is your first gift to the poor. They will appreciate your kindness and your love more than all else you can bring them.”

As the film progresses, the lead character is not only kind but also saves the lives of several people. Near the end of the film, however, he learns that he cannot save the old homeless man living on the street, even after multiple days of trying. This, too, is a valuable lesson for all of us. Some lives we cannot save, and some problems we cannot solve, but much of what matters is that we care enough to try.

I expect I will wake up tomorrow, and it will be a new day. Regardless of how life might feel at times, we are not stuck in a Groundhog Day time loop. We can all do better, however, at being attentive to the gift of each day we have on this earth. When our days seem difficult, it is an opportunity to place trust in the loving providence of God. Our Rule instructs Vincentians to accept and follow God’s plan, which “leads each one to nurture the seeds of love, generosity, reconciliation, and inner peace in themselves, their families, and all those whose lives they touch.” Let’s do that.

Serviens in spe,
Ralph Middlecamp
SVdP National President

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Contemplation – Small Things Compose Great Things

Contemplation – Small Things Compose Great Things https://ssvpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Contemplations-Image-1.jpg 940 788 SVDP USA SVDP USA //ssvpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/svdp-usa-ssvp-int.png January 30, 2022 January 30, 2022

Today’s Society of St. Vincent de Paul, with nearly a million members worldwide, may fairly be said to have fulfilled Blessed Frédéric’s vision of a “network of charity and social justice encircling the world.” [Rule, Part I, 2.2] Let’s pause to consider, though, that it is neither our combined strength, nor less our loud voices that impact the world, but our small and humble acts, performed by two or three in His name, which quietly bear witness to the power of God’s love.

From the earliest days, Frédéric recognized the importance of small Conferences, observing that rapid growth had caused the first Conference “lose in intensity what [it gained] in expansion.” He said the meetings were “nearly always concerned with business” and seemed long. [90, to Curnier, 1835] Of course, he did not propose to reduce the number of members, but to increase the number of Conferences; Conferences small enough to serve personally, and to grow together in holiness, as friends.

Perhaps he was unconsciously aware of the now well-observed psychological phenomenon of “diffused responsibility,” in which the more people are present, the less responsibility each one feels to offer help, even when help is desperately needed. Vincentians are called to form relationships based on trust and friendship; to see in our neighbors the face of Christ; to serve them, person to person, for love alone.

Our Conferences are first and foremost communities of faith, not administrative subdivisions of a Council that commands them. On the contrary, it is the Council that exists to support the Conference, so that each Conference can do its work, as Frédéric put it, “by your own strength, under the inspirations of your heart, under the influence of local circumstances…” [90, to Curnier, 1835]

For its part, the Conference supports its members, who “meet as brothers and sisters with Christ in the midst of them, in Conferences that are genuine communities of faith and love, of prayer and action.” [Rule, Part I, 3.3] Members, in turn, see and serve the poor, each of them individually. It is the home visitors, not the Society writ large, who are assumed to have special insight into the best way to help.

There is, as the saying goes, strength in numbers, and we can rightly be proud of the great and providential presence of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul around the world. But as Thomas Paine once said, “‘Tis not in numbers, but in unity, that our great strength lies.” [Common Sense]

Indeed, our unity is expressed not in numbers, but in faith, in friendship, and in service. As our Rule says, “In every Conference throughout the world and in their personal lives, Vincentians raise their prayers to God, united with the prayer of Christ, on behalf of one another and their masters the poor, whose suffering they wish to share.” [Rule, Part I, 2.3]

Contemplate

Do I always accept my personal responsibility to serve, no matter how many other people are around?

1-22-2022 to 1-28-2022 News Roundup

1-22-2022 to 1-28-2022 News Roundup https://ssvpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/svdp-news.jpg 1200 1200 SVDP USA SVDP USA //ssvpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/svdp-usa-ssvp-int.png January 28, 2022 January 28, 2022

With 100,000 Vincentians across the United States and nearly 800,000 around the world, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul provides person-to-person service to those who are needy and suffering. Read some of their stories here:

INTERNATIONAL

IRELAND: St Vincent de Paul raise €275,000 from car raffle
IRELAND: St. Vincent de Paul Says Radical Steps Needed To End Child Poverty
IRELAND: Grangemockler NS students did their bit for St Vincent de Paul food appeal
UNITED KINGDOM: Cardinal blesses new knife bin

NATIONAL

BATON ROUGE, LA: Cold-weather shelters provide warm place for homeless people
BATON ROUGE, LA: Baton Rouge nonprofit gives out clothes, other items to homeless ahead of freezing weather
CHILLICOTHE, OH: Decreased SNAP benefits leads to increased food pantry use
DAYTON, OH: Extreme cold prompts Dayton to open warming centers
MADISON, WI: Recycle the Warmth blanket drive marks 30 years
PASCO COUNTY, FL: Low-Income Housing Project Earns Pasco County National Honors
SARASOTA, FL: Affordable housing for veterans coming to Sarasota
SONOMA COUNTY, CA: Sonoma County tiny houses could help homeless in Marin

Help us share the good news of the good work being done in your local Conference or Council! Email us at info@svdpusa.org with the subject line Good News.

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Daily Prayers Week of January 24

Daily Prayers Week of January 24 https://ssvpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/SVdP-Daily-Prayer.png 940 788 SVDP USA SVDP USA //ssvpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/svdp-usa-ssvp-int.png January 28, 2022 January 28, 2022

Monday, January 24

My Lord and my God,

You have blessed me fully

You have called my name

I stand before You,

Arms outstretched

Wrapped up in Your embrace

Send me forth to do Your will

Amen

Tuesday, January 25

Lord, shine Your light before me

Show me the way

Bring me to life

Send me forth in Your name

To offer Your hope

To share Your love

Amen

Wednesday, January 26

Your word strengthens me, Lord,

In courage and in faith;

Your power enfolds me

In comfort and in hope;

Your peace grows within me

As mercy and as love.

All this I will share without fear.

Amen

Thursday, January 27

Your lamp, O lord, is before me.

Let me share Your light.

Your word is in my heart, O Lord,

Let me share Your truth.

Your blessings fill my life, my God.

Let me share my gifts.

Amen

Friday, January 28

Lord in Heaven,

Lord on Earth,

Lord within my soul

Help me to know the word,

You’ve written on my heart,

To do Your will

On earth as in heaven,

With all my heart and soul.

Amen

Daily Prayers are written by Tim Williams, National Vincentian Formation Director.

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1-27-2022 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders

1-27-2022 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders https://ssvpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Barringer_Dave_lo-res-e1626278582677.jpg 1368 1387 SVDP USA SVDP USA //ssvpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/svdp-usa-ssvp-int.png January 27, 2022 January 27, 2022

A priest was speaking to an audience of people devoted to helping the poor. “The poor don’t need to have you be their voice,” he said, “They have their own voices.”

This point is certainly debated, and the Society has a group named Voice of the Poor for a reason. While people in poverty indeed have their own voices, what they often lack is the access to places and people where those voices may be heard. The Society, from its Conferences and Councils, can be this access.

Speaking of voices, a truism is that Money Talks. If this is true, perhaps it is time we take stock of the various forms of “money” we may use as the Society to make good things happen.

If your Council has employees, then you are defined as either a small or large employer in your area. While you may not pay property taxes, your staff has economic impact through their wages, payroll taxes, maybe sales taxes, and spending choices. If you have more than 100 employees, you may very well be a major non-government employer in your town. Do others see you this way? Do you act like it when on the public stage?

Even if you have no staff, your Council (and many Conferences) are economic players locally. For example, collectively your Vincentians may be one of the largest customers at the utility companies. Do you use this leverage to get discounts, more favorable terms for the people we serve, or “a seat at the table” as a board member or advisory board voice to the companies and/or the oversight Commissions?

Anytime your Conference makes a purchase decision, some companies benefit and others don’t – that’s the power of the purse. Review how much you spend annually in rent, utilities, food and other supports, and think about how these expenses might give you an enhanced voice for the neighbors in need. This is a voice that others may already provide you, but more often than not, you need to demand it yourself. They think of individual transactions, while you may find strength and benefit in viewing these transactions as a total expense through one payor – the Society.

As friends, we complain about bad customer service to one another, and once in a while we even say something nice about a company or vendor who made our life a little easier. Whether it is done around a restaurant table or through the internet, this is now called “influencer behavior” that can make or break a company. By steering family and friends to, or away from, those who interact with the Society, we help those we serve through economic pressure that can change corporate behavior and responses. We may already do this, but it deserves to be intentional.

A friend of mine who leads a local nonprofit once related that at a weekly Rotary Club meeting, he realized that he was the largest employer present and oversaw one of the largest budgets. Yet many thought of his organization as “that nice little organization that helps people.” He became determined not to throw his weight around, but to remind his friends and the local government of his organization’s size, strength and most importantly, local impact. Changing perspectives improved the way he and his organization were treated.

We Vincentians often exhibit humility, and serve with little or no recognition. Yet collectively our dollars already make a local economic and caring difference. Let’s take this a bit further. Explore how our economic strength can bring the issues and solutions affecting the less fortunate to the table. You may be surprised to look at your Council’s annual report and see just how much money you devote to serving your neighbors. From fundraising dollars to events to store sales, and not even counting the value of volunteer hours, it is often formidable.

If Money Talks, we may have a bigger voice than we realize. How can we use it more effectively to help our neighbors? How can we use our spending power to introduce their voices, alone or collectively, where they need to be heard?

Yours in Christ,
Dave Barringer
CEO

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Contemplation – The Best Way to Help

Contemplation – The Best Way to Help https://ssvpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Contemplations-Image-1.jpg 940 788 SVDP USA SVDP USA //ssvpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/svdp-usa-ssvp-int.png January 23, 2022 January 26, 2022

“In appearing again before you after the great events that have taken place,” Frédéric said in a classroom lecture in 1848, “I am happy to say that, looking back over six years of lectures, I do not recollect one word which I shall have to unsay today.” [Baunard, 261]

For a man of so many words, both written and spoken, to be able to say this is testament to our founder’s embodiment of the virtue of simplicity – frankness, integrity, genuineness. [Rule, Part I, 2.5.1] Always saying in the first instance exactly what we mean relieves us of the need to “walk back” statements we have made.

In serving the neighbor, we should never avoid frankness; frankness builds trust. At the same time, we are called to act always with gentleness, and to judge the need, not the person. Vincentians “do not judge those they serve.” [Rule, Part I, 1.9]

Imagine a neighbor who just can’t seem to hold on to a job for very long, and constantly calls for more assistance. Would it be truly honest, truly simple, to say, “we can’t help you anymore”? After all, if the same neighbor were to call next year, having fallen a little short despite keeping a new job for a year, wouldn’t you need to “unsay” that statement in order to help again?

For that neighbor who can’t hold on to a job, we rarely know the reason, although we might suspect. But as St. Vincent reminds us, “Suspicions are often deceiving.” [CCD IV:85] Rather than walk away, or make an accusation based on our suspicions, why not ask, “Why do you think you are having trouble keeping jobs, and how can I help?”

It is rarely true that we really can’t help, but it is often true that we are not sure how best to help. Rather than avoid this truth, perhaps simplicity and friendship call us to explain that we are struggling to find the best way to help. By being honest, we keep the door – and our hearts – open; we show our trust, and hope for trust in return.

The best way to help is not always financial, so we “should never forget that giving love, talents and time is more important than giving money.” [Rule, Part I, 3.1] And there is no better way to offer our love than with simplicity.