Society of St. Vincent de Paul

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National Council Welcomes International Twinning Coordinator
National Council Welcomes International Twinning Coordinator 400 400 SVDP USA

The National Council of the United States Society of St. Vincent de Paul is excited to welcome the new International Twinning Coordinator, Valeria Vlasich.

Valeria will focus on managing the International Twinning program. She will continue to connect Conferences and Councils across the United States with Conferences in need in other countries.

Valeria is from Mexico City, Mexico. She attended Sacred Heart School and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and Global Affairs from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico.

Valeria has always been passionate about nonprofits and volunteering. She was very interested in diplomacy which drove her to take an internship at the Mexican Embassy in Budapest, Hungary.

“I think I’m most passionate about connecting cultures through service and building bridges to connect people instead of separation,” said Valeria. “I love the idea of community and support, and that’s the reason I’m especially excited about joining SVdP.”

She got married in February 2022 and currently lives in St. Louis with her husband.

If you would like to contact Valeria, she can be reached at (314) 576-3993 ext. 225 or by email at vvlasich@svdpusa.org.

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Contemplation — Dropping Pebbles
Contemplation — Dropping Pebbles 1080 1080 SVDP USA

“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,” Christ said, “and to God the things that are God’s.” With these words, Jesus answered His doubters’ attempt to find contradiction in His teachings, but also gives us some wisdom to carry with us on our home visits. After all, the neighbor we serve is made in the image of God. What is it, then, that is the neighbor’s due? What belongs to him?

Naturally, we are called for assistance with material needs, and seeking to meet those needs is the most basic of our works. To pay the light bill, the water bill, the gas bill; to assist with car repairs or rent; to provide food; all these things and more we do gladly, and the reward of these works is immediate, both for the neighbor, whose urgent needs are met, and for us, who feel fulfilled by offering this service. Faith without works, as we know, is dead, and these are our works, performed for the love of God alone.

Yet at the same time, and much more importantly, we are called to bring God’s love to the neighbor. To reassure them, by our kindness, our presence, and our prayers, that they are not forgotten. We are called to help them find their own way to God, to seek “the full flourishing and eternal happiness of every person.” [Rule Part I, 2.5.1]

Each bill we pay is, in a sense, merely a Caesar that must be paid; a Caesar who will never really be satisfied. Payment provides temporary relief, but not “eternal happiness.” And it sometimes happens that the neighbors have material needs that are so overwhelming that there is no chance we can meet all of them, or they struggle with illnesses or addictions that are simply not within our power to heal.

What then?

Each measure of kindness that we pour out, each prayer we offer, each bit of ourselves that we bring along and leave behind on our visit is a sharing of God’s love. It may not give us the same sort of immediate satisfaction that a repaired car might give, and it hurts our hearts to know that neighbor may continue to suffer in ways we cannot help, but it is in our acts of love, our presence, our sitting, and our listening, that we give them what is truly theirs: their dignity, and their hope.

We may never know how far in the pond the ripples may spread and grow from the pebble of kindness that we drop, but it isn’t for us to know. It is for God to know. It is for us to let go of the pebbles, to “do all the good we can, and trust to God for the rest.” [Baunard, 81]

Contemplate

Do I sometimes seek to measure success only by the bills we pay?

Recommended Reading

Turn Everything to Love

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SVdP News Roundup June 10 – June 16
SVdP News Roundup June 10 – June 16 1080 1080 SVDP USA

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

NATIONAL

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A Week in Prayers June 12 – June 16
A Week in Prayers June 12 – June 16 1080 1080 SVDP USA

Monday, June 12

Place Your hands upon me, Lord,
Heal me with Your touch,
Steady me when I falter,
Or my troubles are too much.

Give me strength to share, O Lord,
For all of life’s demands,
And for my friends and neighbors,
Lord, let me be Your hands.
Amen

Tuesday, June 13

I love You, Lord Jesus, believe me.
I give You my heart in full.
I give You this day,
And all that will I do,
Happily, joyfully, and willingly.
What else can I do?
Amen

Wednesday, June 14

Awake me from my slumber, Lord,
Clear my eyes of sleep.
Help me to see You clearly, Lord,
In the falling rain, in the rising sun,
In the rustling leaves and darting birds,
In the face of a passing stranger.
Help me to love You more, Lord,
And to love You at first sight.
Amen

Thursday, June 15

Jesus, Son of God,
Who humbled Yourself as man,
Help me to follow
The way that You showed:
To love as You loved,
To serve and not to be served,
To give my life for others,
One day at a time.
Amen

Friday, June 16

O my Jesus,
Who came not to be served,
Let me take up Your mantle
And serve.
O my Jesus,
Thine is the kingdom,
Let me help build Your kingdom
On earth.
Amen

Daily Prayers are written by Tim Williams, National Vincentian Formation Director.
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SVdP Stores Corner — Promoting Clothing Drives
SVdP Stores Corner — Promoting Clothing Drives 1080 1080 SVDP USA

Written by: Joe Lazarich, Council of Rockville Centre,  Northeast Region

A good opportunity to increase clothing donations and promote awareness of the Society and the mission is to collaboratively work together with our stores and Conferences to promote and execute clothing drives.

Below are some suggestions to help your drive be successful:

  • Select a date and time that is convenient for everyone, including the Pastor.
  • Work with the Vincentians to reserve a SVdP truck, if available, or provide a scheduled pick up at the location of the event upon completion.
  • Provide donation receipts, as requested.
  • Advertise in the church bulletin a few weeks prior to the event.
  • Promote on social media to include local groups such as “Moms and Dads.”
  • Inform surrounding parishes that do not have an SVdP Conference.
  • Ensure Conference members are present to assist and promote SVdP’s mission and fellowship.
  • Notify the Religious Education Department to inform their students who can earn volunteer/community service hours for participating in the clothing drive.

Click here to see the attached flyer that can be edited with your store’s clothing drive information.

We’d like to encourage you to attend the National Assembly – Stores Meeting on September 6, 2023 in St. Louis, MO.

The morning will start with a motivational message from Dr. Snyder-Director of the Phoenix’s Dental Clinic.  This will be followed by important information about the National Training Store’s growth and success in Phoenix during the last three years. You will hear valuable information that could help your store grow just like the National Store has grown. You will hear two testimonials from Rick Bologna & Bryan Engle about their experience either visiting the National Training Store or had a visit from and assessment done by National Stores Director Jeff Beamguard.

The afternoon will be dedicated to hearing information about store staffing, increasing donations, profitability, Point-of-Sale (POS), sharing of innovative ideas to think of new ways to serve, and information about a future National Training Store in Fairview, IL.

For those attending the Stores Meeting in its entirety on Wednesday, September 6, 2023, they will be eligible for door prizes to include:

$250 Amazon Gift Card, a trip for one to attend the 2024 National Assembly in Phoenix (Restrictions Apply), a trip for one to attend training at the National Training Store in Avondale, AZ (Restrictions Apply), and Dinner for two ($200 value) – Executive Director group only.

You don’t want to miss out!!

Please encourage your store personnel to subscribe to the to the e-Gazette, by emailing mboyer@svdpusa.org.

If you have a topic that you would like addressed in a future Stores Corner article, please e-mail our Director of Stores Support-Jeff Beamguard at jbeamguard@svdpusa.org.

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06-15-2023 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
06-15-2023 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1080 1080 SVDP USA

Is it possible to be too kind?

A group of volunteers comes in every Tuesday to pack food boxes for the pantry. They are all such good friends that they spend a lot of time catching up, sharing jokes and stories. The other volunteers need to pick up the slack for them.

A Society store hires returning citizens in its processing areas. They produce only half of the units that the other employees generate daily, even after several months on the job. However, they are paid the same wage.

Sometimes it feels like the Society has conflicting objectives. We want to be friendly; in fact, Friendship is one of the Society’s three Essential Elements. Yet such friendship can reduce productivity toward another Essential Element, that of Service. We want to help those coming out of prison by giving them employment opportunities. However, if these employees don’t perform at the same levels of others in our employ, coworkers need to fill in around them to meet the business needs. They may feel unfairly treated, as they do so much more work for the same pay.

As Council and Conference leaders, we must balance kindness and friendship with the Society’s need to serve others economically and productively. We want to be liked, but we are also responsible for the “business” of the Society as faithful stewards of dollars, volunteer time and other resources.

This would be easier to see if it was just about dollars. We would not tolerate a volunteer or employee snacking on food meant for the food pantry, or taking it home. Most of our stores have a zero-tolerance policy for the theft of clothing or other goods meant for sale. Fortunately such cases are rare, but across the country we have had employees and volunteer leaders arrested for embezzlement of funds. We may feel compassion for those who have stolen from the Society, but we must side on the greater good of the community and its trust in the Society to keep high ethical standards and to manage their donations effectively.

It is more difficult to manage expectations for volunteers. We so appreciate anyone giving us their time that we excuse the wasting of some of that time. Yes, friendship is critical to what we do, and we want any volunteer experience to be enjoyable. This, though, has its limits. When others need to cover for the goof-offs, I mean less productive volunteers, and the tasks aren’t getting done despite what seems to be a reasonable number of hands applied to them, leaders need to step in. Otherwise, we risk losing our best volunteers when they feel exploited for the sake of others. They may quietly fade away, so this can be challenging to see right before our eyes.

Employees, such as in that store example above, are usually less quiet! They will complain about why they are paid the same as another but do so much more work, and then they leave. Or they slow down to another staffer’s activity level to achieve wage parity. Either response hurts the business. Thus, our attempt at caring, compassionate employment for some can result in the total business not performing well, endangering all of the workers’ jobs as well as our ability to serve the community.

What to do? First, we need to listen. We don’t want volunteers and employees snitching on others, but we can listen to the quiet complaining and then try to improve the situation. This improvement may entail coaching, performance reviews, transferring some people to where they can be more effective, and breaking up the friendship cliques to more productive working groups, all for the Society’s greater good.

We don’t help people by excusing bad behaviors. In fact, we make it worse for them eventually. Most of us learned this either as children or parents. When it comes to employees and especially volunteers, however, we sometimes act with our Vincentian hearts more than with our heads. Our leaders have at least two tools to help with this issue: other leaders and discernment. We can check with others we trust to ask if they see what we see. We then take in all the input and in most cases (those not endangering someone) we can develop a thoughtful, compassionate set of solutions.

As people, Vincentians and leaders, we all seek to be liked by others. The potential cost of leadership is risking such love by doing the necessary to protect the organization we lead. When we lead such a good organization as the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, upon which so many people in need rely, we should not be slow to seek productivity improvements or conservation of precious resources. After all, we were elected by our fellow members with guidance from the Holy Spirit to do the right thing.

Yours in Christ,
Dave Barringer
CEO

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A Week in Prayers June 5 – June 9
A Week in Prayers June 5 – June 9 1080 1080 SVDP USA

Monday, June 5

Jesus Christ, Son of Man,
Through Your endlessly inventive love
You remain present
In the bread of the Eucharist
And in the person of the neighbor.
Heal my soul, O Lord,
So that I may be worthy to receive You
And to serve You.
Amen

Tuesday, June 6

Holy Spirit, Breath of God,
Present in the quiet hours,
Like the morning mist
Above the grass.
Fill me with every breath.
Remain present to me,
Just as the mist remains
When made clear
By the Light of the World.
Amen

Wednesday, June 7

Heavenly Father, I give You my heart.
Without hesitation,
Without reservation,
I pour myself out before You.
In the neighbor, O God, I will serve You,
In Your name,
And for Your love alone.
Amen

Thursday, June 8 

Help me to live my faith, Lord,
In every part of my life.
May my daily work glorify You.
May my family life be in Your name.
May I serve the neighbor for Your love.
May even my sleep be a prayer,
So I awaken each day in Your light.
Amen

Friday, June 9

In the name of the Father,
I rise from sleep
And face the day with joy.
In the name of the Son,
I bear my cross
And share His love with all.
In the name of the Holy Spirit,
My heart’s on fire
And I shall never tire.
Amen

Daily Prayers are written by Tim Williams, National Vincentian Formation Director.
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SVdP News Roundup June 3 – June 9
SVdP News Roundup June 3 – June 9 1080 1080 SVDP USA

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

NATIONAL

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Contemplation – Sacred Images
Contemplation – Sacred Images 1080 1080 SVDP USA

In expanding upon the principle that “no work of charity is foreign to the Society,” the Rule goes on to say that these works include “any form of help that alleviates suffering or deprivation and promotes human dignity…” [Rule, Part I, 1.3] Human dignity is at the heart of what we do, as it should be. After all, the first of the four permanent principles of Catholic Social Doctrine is “the dignity of the human person.” [CSDC, 160]

What do we mean by dignity, though? What does dignity call us to do, exactly? In all of her writing, St. Louise used the word dignity most often in speaking of the Blessed Mother, whose “dignity … unites her to her Son.” [SWLM, 785] Yet she also speaks of the “dignity of suffering” [SWLM, 775] and the dignity of the Eucharist, which, she says, “should make us realize our powerlessness to prepare adequately to receive Him.” [SWLM, 822] In each case, dignity represents a worthiness, or a nobility.

How often are the poor expected to demonstrate their “worthiness?” How often are they called to shuffle into an assistance office, fill out a form, take a number, or many other indignities. As Vincentians, our respect for the dignity of all persons demands of us that we “never adopt the attitude that the money is [ours], or that the recipients have to prove that they deserve it.” [Manual, 23]

The greatest commandment reminds us to love our neighbor as ourselves, and not just the victim on the side of the road, not just the homeless, not just the single mother, not just the most sympathetic, but rather “everyone must consider his every neighbor without exception as another self… a special obligation binds us to make ourselves the neighbor of every person without exception and of actively helping him when he comes across our path.” [Gaudium et Spes, 27]

In an essay on Christian charity, Frédéric Ozanam compared the ancient paganism to Christianity. They had, he conceded, better understood how to enjoy themselves, and had constructed vast stadiums to do so. We, on the other hand, “understand what constitutes human dignity, what lasts as long as life endures.” [Baunard, 322]

Each person is created fully in God’s image, the imago Dei, unique and unrepeatable, the “sacred images of that God whom we do not see”.[Letter 137, to Janmot, 1837] They are already worthy, and already deserving. As with the Body of Christ, received in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, as Louise teaches, it is we who must prepare to receive them, to serve them, and to honor them.

Contemplate

Do I sometimes feel the neighbor must “prove himself” to me??

Recommended Reading

Faces of Holiness

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06-08-2023 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
06-08-2023 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 900 900 SVDP USA

Sitting in the warm sunshine, I recently attended a college graduation and was struck by the behaviors of the students’ friends and family members all around me. Many were yelling loudly at their favorite graduate’s name, taking many photos, and otherwise celebrating like this event was a major milestone. Which, for some, it definitely was because they were watching the first from their family ever to graduate from college. For others, like parents, it meant the end of college tuition payments! For many, however, they know or will soon understand that college is just one step in a lifetime of learning.

Ironically, this particular graduation was on Ascension weekend. Families celebrated with great fervor the going forth of their young ones to greater adventures, perhaps to return one day. Yet the ascension up to Heaven of Christ, with His promises to finish works on our behalf and then someday to return to us, does not get the fanfare it deserves. Perhaps the annual celebration of this event for hundreds of years has dulled us to its critical importance within our faith and our future.

As Vincentians, we know that college is important, but that our devotion and learning of our faith is a lifelong pathway. Every answer we receive begs new and deeper questions. Yet we continue our faith journey in the hope of attaining the Sainthood promised to us.

Imagine that each of those newly-minted graduates had been formed in our faith and Vincentian charism. Now they prepare to serve, some in our neighborhoods and many others in distant communities, with the zeal of youth and at least a basic understanding of what it means to be a serving Vincentian. Wouldn’t that be a graduation worth celebrating!

In founder Frédéric Ozanam’s day, members of the original Conference first split their growing membership into multiple Paris Conferences, and then members naturally drifted away to other communities. They brought our charism with them to form new Conferences with new members, and thus the Society very quickly grew nationally and even internationally. For example, the Society reached the United States in 1845, only 12 years since the first Conference meeting in Paris, and in a time of far less publicity, transportation and certainly the viral, social media than we have today. A powerful idea, combined with positive word of mouth is, in this case, evangelical. Imagine what it could be like today if current grads likewise went off to the rest of their lives away from their college communities to join, or start, Society Conferences wherever they landed.

We don’t need to imagine it. We can make it happen.

This requires two caring, thoughtful Society communities of action. The first forms and nurtures college campus, Neumann Center, or nearby parish young adult Conferences. The process at this end builds in a high turnover of students and Conference leadership terms, and requires frequent Ozanam Orientations and other basic formation and service opportunities. The second community, which is all of us, receives graduates into their existing parish Conferences and actively assists young adults to form new Conferences. Yes, this process can be messy and requires both patience and resources, not the least of which is community connections to get started.

Just as Christ sent out His disciples to faraway lands to spread the Word, we have an opportunity to nurture young adults as they travel from childhood homes and places of learning into their new career and family communities. The habits learned at a young age, not the least of which are faith and service, need our nurturing and mentorship or they risk being replaced by whatever is available – and not always good – habits.

At graduations nationwide, the grandparents especially understand that the day is a milestone worth celebrating but just one step in a lifetime of learning. What can we do, for both our kids and others’ children, to help them continue on their path of faith formation and service? What would Frederic do? What would Christ do?

Yours in Christ,
Dave Barringer
CEO

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