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SVdP Pharmacies Help Patients Afford Urgently Needed Medications
SVdP Pharmacies Help Patients Afford Urgently Needed Medications 2560 1707 SVDP USA

“Seeing their renewed hope makes every day worth it.”

Low-income neighbors face difficult choices daily. Some have to decide between necessities like paying rent and feeding their families. Others forego important medications so they can afford that month’s transportation costs or utilities.

Raul, a married father of four, supports his family by working at a pizza restaurant. Unfortunately, his salary isn’t enough for the family to afford health insurance. When his doctor prescribed a new medication that would cost over $20,000 a year, Raul turned to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s North Texas pharmacy for assistance.

Thanks to gifts to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, this charitable pharmacy is one of six across the U.S. providing free and deeply discounted medications so that vulnerable patients can live their healthiest life.

At the Dallas location, Vincentian volunteers and pharmacist Carlos Irula worked to help Raul with documents and other resources he needed to access coverage for his expensive prescriptions. “I was having trouble, but they showed me options and helped me along the way,” Raul said. “They were very patient, and we were able to get qualified.”

Irula says this SVdP pharmacy is busier than ever. “Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve been filling over 400 prescriptions per week. There is definitely a greater need for assistance and medication during these unprecedented times.”

The volunteers, staff, and pharmacists dispense much more than just medicine. They offer peace of mind and a generous dose of hope as each neighbor feels welcomed and cared for.

“Hearing from patients how we’ve made a difference in their lives and their family’s lives — and seeing their renewed hope — makes every day worth it,” adds Irula.

“I cannot imagine what I would have done without the pharmacy’s help,” said Raul. “I can now worry about paying my bills on time and providing more groceries to my family. Everyone working there [is] a blessing and I cannot thank them enough.”

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SVdP Donors Help Hurricane Survivors With Long-Term Recovery
SVdP Donors Help Hurricane Survivors With Long-Term Recovery 1336 678 SVDP USA

Floridian Kelly Knopf survived last September’s Hurricane Ian, the state’s deadliest storm in nearly 90 years.

“It was quite traumatic,” she told a reporter about those earliest hours and days. “I don’t think our community was quite prepared [because forecasters] said it would go more over Tampa; but it ended up hovering over Fort Myers Beach. It was a save-your-life type of situation.”

That change in expected direction was enough to make it too late for some people to evacuate, especially those who lack family, funds, or reliable transportation at a moment’s notice. Fear kept others in their homes to ride things out.

But thanks to generosity from our donors, the Disaster Services Corporation of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul sprang into action. DSC delivered truckloads of protein food basics to the front lines. Vincentian volunteers distributed goods to neighbors at the epicenter of destruction. Hygiene kits and gift cards for essentials were given to families who lost everything.

“The Society of St. Vincent de Paul disaster relief people have been incredibly helpful with clothing, food, and whatever else they can,” Kelly said. “Getting people shelter and housing is hopefully next.”

Media coverage waned. But the Society’s dedication to providing critically needed aid didn’t. Gifts from friends like you kept us on the ground, helping people even as attention turned away from the disaster zone.

Thanks to the prayerful support and generosity of our donors, Vincentian volunteers continued to serve on the front lines. They delivered food, clothing, and other necessities. They helped survivors complete paperwork necessary to receive FEMA benefits. Councils helped with utility bills, furniture, household, and pantry items. They listened with patience and compassion and offered prayers for healing.

“It’s starting your whole life all over again. I mean, from nothing,” Kelly noted. “St. Vincent de Paul is a staple in our community, and hopefully they continue to help everyone do what’s next for them in their path in life … Having lots of kind people and friends become selfless enough to help you when you literally have nothing for yourself — that’s what keeps me hopeful.”

Gifts to the Society make all the difference in times like these. Because you respond with love and do what Our Lord calls you to do for those in need, people are surviving and returning to normal in Florida. Thank you!

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Your Generosity Funds Friends of the Poor Grants
Your Generosity Funds Friends of the Poor Grants 640 480 SVDP USA

Right now, in every corner of the country, a vast army of Good Samaritans is at work caring for the poor in their communities. These “troops” — known as lay Vincentians — are volunteer members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Organized into local Conferences, they number nearly 90,000 and annually provide material and spiritual assistance to millions of individuals and families facing hardships of all sorts.

Those crises include joblessness, natural disasters, social isolation, the threat of eviction or homelessness, or the inability to afford meeting their basic needs for food, utilities, or medications.

Through gifts from friends like you, the National Council trains, sustains, and strengthens these Good Samaritans along their journey of serving God’s people in need.

In the small Tucson suburb of Vail, Arizona, Maury and Susan Bois are among the Vincentians serving at St. Rita in the Desert Catholic Church. More than 650 Vail residents live below the poverty line. “Helping everyone requesting assistance to get back on their feet wasn’t easy when our own coffers were low,” Maury recalls. “We were down to $40 when we applied to the National Council for a Friends of the Poor grant. We prayed and waited.”

The National Council was able to award a $5,000 grant to the St. Rita Vincentians.

“It was an incredible morale booster for us,” Maury says. “It showed in a very big way that we are one Society … that we were seen, that National was with us.”

Gifts to the National Council strengthen the army of volunteers more than just financially. They also help deepen the faith and spiritual growth of every Vincentian, as was the primary mission of the Society’s founder, Frédéric Ozanam. Maury points to the difference that makes.

“Being a Vincentian has changed my life. I’ve become closer to God, and certainly more aware of and sympathetic to the suffering of people requesting our assistance. We’ve relied a great deal on the National Council, and I’m especially grateful for the donors who support them. Their generosity makes possible the Friends of the Poor grants and other resources that are helping us support Vincentians and reach more people in need.”

Gifts to the National Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul help provide Friends of the Poor grants that empower local Vincentian volunteers to serve needs that go beyond what their usual resources can meet.

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Winter 2023 Serving in Hope Newsletter Now Out
Winter 2023 Serving in Hope Newsletter Now Out 2141 2827 SVDP USA

The latest edition of our Serving in Hope Newsletter is now available!

Serving in Hope shares stories of how the Society of St. Vincent de Paul changes lives across the country. This issue’s cover story features Kelly, a survivor of Hurricane Ian, who was helped by Disaster Services Corporation, thanks to donations to our Annual Disaster Appeal. We also bring you the story of an SVdP Conference in Illinois who used two Friends of the Poor Grants from the National Council to bring life-changing aid to neighbors in need in their community. And you’ll meet a donor who wanted to support a Catholic nonprofit, and found the right blend of faith and service in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

Serving in Hope is published quarterly and sent to all donors of the National Council. If you haven’t received your copy yet, click here to read Serving in Hope

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SVdP USA Releases Impact Report
SVdP USA Releases Impact Report 870 1125 SVDP USA

The National Council of the U.S., Society of St. Vincent de Paul has released its 2022 Impact Report to donors.

Donors make possible the work done by Vincentians across the country. Through their generosity to the National Council, they are supporting our vast network of volunteers as they share the love of Christ with neighbors in need.

Titled “Seeing and Being the Face of Christ,” this year’s report features stories of how SVdP’s national network of Vincentian volunteers provides urban, rural, and even suburban communities with resources and compassion. So neighbors living in the foothills of Appalachia or in Florida’s Everglades can receive the same level of assistance and care as those living in bigger cities.

The National Council serves nearly 90,000 Vincentian volunteers representing almost 4,500 parish-based Conferences. Recently, the Do Good Institute and Independent Sector reported that the value of one volunteer hour is estimated to be $29.95. In 2021, Vincentians around the country contributed a total of more than 7.3 million volunteer hours. Last year, Vincentians served more than 3.3 million neighbors in need across the country. That puts the total annual value of the Society’s in-kind labor at over $218 million last year alone!

Click here to read this year’s Impact Report.

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Serving in Hope Recognizes Divine Mercy Sunday
Serving in Hope Recognizes Divine Mercy Sunday 2130 2761 SVDP USA

Our latest issue of Serving in Hope is out now!

This new quarterly newsletter dedicated to sharing inspiring stories of the ways the Society is making a difference in the lives of those we serve. Whether you’re a donor, friend, or Vincentian, you further the charitable mission of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul with your prayers and generosity.

In our latest issue, we’re celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday. Celebrated the Sunday after Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday gives special focus to the gifts of love and mercy given that we receive through Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.

Vincentians are no strangers to the concept of mercy, sharing it — and receiving it — every day in our relationships with those we serve. You can read stories of Vincentians’ relationship with mercy in our newest issue of Serving in Hope, out now.

Download Serving in Hope Now
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SVdP USA Launches “Serving in Hope” Newsletter
SVdP USA Launches “Serving in Hope” Newsletter 2550 1782 SVDP USA

The National Council of the U.S., Society of St. Vincent de Paul is pleased to share the inaugural issue of Serving in Hope, a new quarterly newsletter dedicated to sharing inspiring stories of the ways the Society is making a difference in the lives of those we serve. Whether you’re a donor, friend, or Vincentian, you further the charitable mission of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul with your prayers and generosity.

Click here to read the first issue and learn about just some of the ways that the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is serving in hope in communities across the country.

CARS donation
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Donate Your Vehicle to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Donate Your Vehicle to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul 2560 1707 SVDP USA

Do you have a vehicle you no longer need that’s taking up space in your garage or driveway? Consider donating it to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul!

Your vehicle donation helps fund local programs that will help the Society of St. Vincent de Paul serve local neighbors in need. These programs can include housing and rent assistance, utilities, food, disaster relief, job training, and more. No work of charity is foreign to the Society — Vincentian volunteers provide help and hope, faith and friendship in myriad ways all across the country, including in your neighborhood.

“The National Vehicle Donation Program is a fundraising opportunity for Conferences and Councils,” says Nathan Martin, National Director of Fundraising Programs. “The funds from these donated vehicles allow local Conferences and Councils the ability to offer programs and emergency assistance for their neighbors in need. The National Council partners with a third-party vendor, Charitable Adult Rides and Services (CARS), who handles each donation from beginning to end. From this partnership, the National Vehicle Donation Program accepted 2,440 vehicles last year, netting almost $1.2 million for local Conferences and Councils.”

What Can I Donate?

All vehicles are considered, even if they’re no longer running! We accept most cars, trucks, trailers, boats, RVs, motorcycles, campers, off-road vehicles, heavy equipment, and other motorized vehicles. We’ll even help tow away your unused vehicles — talk about a win-win!

Learn More

To learn more about donating to our CARS program, contact Nathan Martin, National Director of Fundraising Programs, at (314) 576-3993 x 218, or visit svdpusa.careasy.org/HOME.html

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    ABOUT SVDP USA

    The National Council of the United States, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Inc. is a non-profit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. Donations to the National Council are deductible. The Council’s tax identification number is 13-5562362.

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