donor spotlight

Born in Japan, Chris Uga moved with his family to the U.S. at age seven. He lives with his wife and two young children in New York City and attends St. Peter’s Church. After he converted to Catholicism a few years ago, he began looking into “good Catholic causes” he could support.

One of the places he went for information was Reddit, a social news forum that invites member discussion and opinions on various topics. “I regularly peruse the Catholic community within Reddit,” Chris says. “When I searched there to find a good charity to support, a lot of people called out the Society of St. Vincent de Paul as one of the best.”

Chris investigated on his own and liked what he saw.

“Some important things differentiated the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. It’s not only handouts. The Society offers training for volunteers so they can help individuals with all kinds of struggles. It’s a more personal and multi-pronged approach to helping the needy. They run things in a sophisticated way with strong accountability.

“I also appreciate that all the activities of the Society are driven by faith.”

A software engineering manager at an investment management firm, Chris is finishing a book about Eucharistic miracles entitled “God Under the Microscope.” He hopes to publish the book as a nonprofit endeavor, using science and reason to help others along their faith journey.

You join hands with Chris in this ministry to the poor every time you donate. Together, we are living out our Faith and changing the world!

Donor Spotlight: Don and Grace Grau

“The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was instrumental in helping my family survive,” says Grace Grau.

Growing up, Grace’s family received help with food and clothing through the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Her mother raised four kids on
her own, and though she held down a number of jobs, the family didn’t always have enough money for basic needs.

Later in life, when she told her husband Don about their help, he was touched. A generous soul, Don owned a small business for more than 30 years and took care of his employees whenever he could.

One employee, Angie, was in a bad financial situation. But when her car needed repairs, they were done quickly — even though Don knew she
couldn’t afford it. When Don asked, Angie told him the garage hadn’t charged her anything. Don was curious, so he visited the garage, where he was told “St. Vincent de Paul took care of it.”

Remembering his wife’s story, Don thought of his father’s lesson: “You give back when you can.”

He visited the local SVdP Conference to write them a check for the cost of Angie’s car repairs. As Don and Grace learned more about the various ways St. Vincent de Paul helps neighbors in need, their gifts grew as well. They love supporting the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and encourage others to join them.

You join hands with Don and Grace to support people like Angie every time you donate. Says Don, “This is a great organization — St.
Vincent de Paul helps people who really need help and might not find it otherwise.” Grace adds, “I know firsthand that donations are really helping families who need help. I’ll always be grateful.”