Back2Work

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Not a Life Sentence: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty in Des Moines
Not a Life Sentence: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty in Des Moines 2560 1708 SVDP USA

Not a Life Sentence: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty in Des Moines

BEING BORN INTO POVERTY DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A LIFE SENTENCE. THAT’S WHAT THE SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL DES MOINES COUNCIL WANTS PEOPLE TO KNOW. 

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) Des Moines Council wants people to know that just because they may have been born into poverty, that doesn’t mean they have to spend their lives on the brink. The Council’s Back2Work program helps those interested in improving their lives to tap into their God-given potential, break the cycle of poverty, and live lives full of purpose. The program is meant to help participants with a history of substance abuse, mental health challenges, or incarceration overcome barriers to self-sufficiency.

Back2Work helps them re-enter the workforce and earn a livable wage — all while learning a new job and marketable skills. Back2Work includes two weeks of pre-employment training, and then six months of on-the-job training — along with classes at SVdP that cover topics such as healthy relationships, financial literacy, and career coaching. The Council also coordinates with Catholic Charities to provide participants with counseling and mental health support.

This is all part of an effort to give people holistic, wraparound support so that they can succeed long-term. Once training is over, participants receive follow-up and additional support. SVdP often helps them set up continuing education classes — such as ESL or HiSET — so they can keep moving forward on their career path.

Back2Work participants usually land jobs in fields such as electrical work, landscape, hospitality, manufacturing, and healthcare. 90% are employed at $18.25 an hour — and in Des Moines, that kind of steady income can help buy groceries, a car, and even a home. It can help an entire family escape generational poverty.

In addition to Back2Work, SVdP Des Moines runs a Reentry program that works with incarcerated individuals. With a more one-on-one focus, this program provides people with professional training and mentorship and helps them troubleshoot potential barriers to success like transportation, housing, and access to healthy choices. Thanks in large part to this program, the Des Moines region has a significantly lower recidivism rate than the rest of the state.

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SVdP National Council Welcomes Associate Director of Poverty Programs / Director of Immersion Program
SVdP National Council Welcomes Associate Director of Poverty Programs / Director of Immersion Program 150 150 SVDP USA

The National Council of the United States Society of St. Vincent de Paul is excited to welcome Heather Fullerton as the new Associate Director of Poverty Programs / Director of Immersion Program.

Heather will work collaboratively with Councils and Conferences to enhance and expand the Society’s Systemic Change programming, with a particular focus on Immersion, the Society’s national reentry program, and Back2Work, the national workforce development program.

Heather earned her bachelor’s degree in Science Education from the University of Missouri – Columbia and her master’s degree in School Administration from Lindenwood University.

For the past 15 years, Heather has used her skills as an educator and nonprofit manager to create equitable systems in which all people flourish by training and coaching others to build capacity.

As a teacher, Heather earned National Board Certification for excellence in innovative teaching.

Heather lives in St. Louis with her husband Joshua and their children Camille and Christian. They have a Dalmatian mix named Uno. In her free time, Heather enjoys sewing, gardening, and playing video games with her family.

“I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside the National Council Staff,” said Heather. “I can’t wait to collaborate with this family of passionate, talented, and faithful individuals. Thank you for welcoming me with such open arms!”

Welcome Heather!

If you’d like to contact Heather, she can be reached at (314) 576-3993 ext. 217 or by email at hfullerton@svdpusa.org.

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01-14-21 Letter From Our Servant Leaders
01-14-21 Letter From Our Servant Leaders 500 500 SVDP USA

We do not need (or even want!) to be reminded of the unusual year we have faced in 2020: A pandemic, economic crisis, and societal turmoil from racial injustices. Yet amidst it all, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has offered a steady hand to our most vulnerable neighbors, providing food, rent assistance, utility payments, the list goes on and on. Thankfully, in the worst of time, the Society shines. With nearly 100,000 Vincentians in the United States alone, we are ready and willing to step in.

Among those we are serving, our sisters and brothers returning home from incarceration are facing many barriers and obstacles, often without family or resources to fall back on. Up to one third of our Home Visit contacts have a formerly incarcerated individual in their household. Sadly, years of systemic racism have profoundly impacted the struggles, evidenced in the disproportionate numbers of Black, Brown, and Indigenous peoples bearing the brunt of inequities in the criminal justice system. Addressing this myriad of concerns through the Society calls us as Vincentians to form a “network of Reentry,” to borrow a phrase from Frédéric Ozanam: “I would like to embrace the whole world in a network of charity.”

St. Vincent de Paul has already responded with the typical creativity that we are known for. Immersion and Back2Work were designed to work in tandem to address the special needs of those returning from incarceration, “returning citizens.” Utilizing the strength of our many Conferences, our community partnerships, ability to access resources, we walk with each neighbor on their journey home. Right now, we have these programs in four different Councils across the country.

Now, in a hopefully “post-COVID-19” world, we are challenged to be even better organized and consistent in our approach. A “network of Reentry” has already been conceived in the National Reentry Task Force (NRTF). We have an opportunity to grow our Task Force to form a new vision, to provide invigorated and integrated services to returning citizens everywhere. By providing mentoring, job training, education, advocacy, restorative justice and more, we can help bring healing to our sisters and brothers and communities.

Please take a moment to prayerfully discern: Are you being called to this Reentry ministry? Consider how you can help us in this shared mission. Who in your Council or Region is already serving the formerly incarcerated? Who has a passion for restorative justice? Can you help us bring a new vision to the National Reentry Task Force?

As the Society of St. Vincent de Paul we are uniquely qualified, indeed gifted, to help meet the many challenges our returning citizens are facing. Together, we can begin to participate in the building up of the Kingdom of God within our truly Vincentian charism, embracing a “network of Reentry.”

In Christ’s faith,

Marian Lamoureux

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