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From Temporary Shelter to Stability: SVdP’s Motel 2 Home Program Breaks Through in Virginia
From Temporary Shelter to Stability: SVdP’s Motel 2 Home Program Breaks Through in Virginia 2560 1707 SVDP USA

From Temporary Shelter to Stability: SVdP’s Motel 2 Home Program Breaks Through in Virginia

It’s hard to imagine what to do next after finding out that 1,300 kids in your local school district are homeless.

But Dan Kearns, Executive Director of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) Richmond Council, acted quicky. After learning last fall from Henrico County Public Schools that 113 of those students live in motels, Kearns and his Council extended a hand almost immediately.

Extended stay motels have become the only semi-stable housing available to many families living in poverty. If a family has been evicted, it can be hard for them to find another landlord who will rent to them. They sometimes end up in motels where, yes, they have a roof over their heads—but conditions are cramped, kitchens are almost non-existent, and the high living cost means it’s all but impossible to save towards a deposit on a more sustainable living situation.

“We knew there was a challenge – how do we help these people living in motels?” Kearns said. “And we knew that SVdP Georgia already had a program that served this population, so we mirrored it exactly after theirs.”

That program is Motel 2 Home, where SVdP staff and Vincentian volunteers provide financial assistance to families living in motels so that they can move into more stable housing. SVdP Richmond tailored the program to fit local needs, and since the program’s inception last October, they’ve worked with five families – three of which have moved into permanent housing.

Motel 2 Home is just one of many programs offered by SVdP with a focus toward homelessness prevention across the country – keeping families secure so that they don’t end up on the street. Among them are Home Visit Encounters – the heart of SVdP’s services – food pantries, shelters, thrift stores, dental clinics, charitable pharmacies, and much more.

Last year, SVdP USA served 5 million vulnerable individuals.

“I always look at SVdP as kind of the first responders to poverty,” Kearns said. “A lot of other organizations act almost as the extended care hospital, but what about people who are in an emergency? They can’t wait two or three weeks to get a phone call back. And I always say SVdP is really good at that – keeping the patient alive until we can figure out the root causes of their illness.”

A family must have income to qualify for the Motel 2 Home program, according to Kearns. When sitting down with the families to look at potential homes, SVdP recommends a monthly rent of about 40% of the family’s monthly income.

“We want you to be sustainable going forward,” he said. “We want you to stay in this home. So, at its core, a lot of it is financial counseling and direction.”

Take Tawanda from Richmond, for example. Mary’s Choice, a local faith-based organization that provides housing assistance, reached out to SVdP to ask that they help Tawanda and her two sons move into a home. They were all living in a motel at the time, and one of the sons was expecting with his girlfriend. Kearns sat down with the family, looked into an application, and discussed finances.

Once they determined the monthly rent the family could afford, Kearns and his team helped Tawanda and her sons move into a suitable home over the holidays. But that’s not all – they also helped furnish the home with brand new mattresses from a local SVdP thrift store.

Kearns still regularly checks in with Tawanda’s family.

“These individuals aren’t just a number. We don’t say, ‘Here’s your assistance … see you next month or maybe never again. Our services are efficient, but we also make it personal.”

Other SVdP Conferences across the country also help struggling families transition from motels to stable housing. The SVDP Conference at Sts. Joseph and Paul Catholic Church in Kentucky recently helped a mother and two sons move from a motel into a home and also secured a job for the mother. SVdP St. Louis, with the help from the St. Patrick Center and local parishes, raised funds to help a mother pay off a lingering hotel debt and move into a new home with her children. She was also given thrift store vouchers to furnish the home.

“We start with the heart here at SVdP,” said Kearns. “We don’t care what your situation is – we will figure it out. But first, we’re going to reach out to you to let you know we are here to help.”

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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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04-03-25 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders
04-03-25 A Letter From Our Servant Leaders 1200 1200 SVDP USA

Every night, over half a million people in America experience homelessness. Imagine walking past them knowing they are someone’s mother, father, or child. As Vincentians, we don’t have to imagine it, we live it.

And we cannot simply walk by — we are called to act. We understand our profound responsibility to act boldly in service to others. The words from 1 John, “Let us love, not with words but with deeds” are a reminder to all of us of the profound responsibility we share as Christians to live out our faith not just in what we say, but in what we do.

We are each familiar with the calls to action required to address the many needs in the world. And we celebrate the profound joy that comes from growing in holiness through our response to Christ’s call to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give shelter to the homeless, welcome the stranger, minister to the sick, and visit the prisoner. The work of every Vincentian and volunteer is a vital lifeline for countless people in need — individuals and families often standing at the brink of despair, searching for a glimmer of hope.

Every year, we are faced with new challenges and opportunities. The world is constantly evolving. So how do we respond as we answer the call to serve? Amid the excitement of new beginnings and the anticipation of fresh starts, there are also apprehensions about the changes and challenges that may lie ahead. But amidst these feelings, one constant remains: the enduring power of hope. And so, we must be Bearers of Hope to the countless many who wonder if hope exists, who wonder if love exists, who wonder if anyone cares.

For hope is the belief that even in the face of adversity, goodness and redemption are possible. It is the conviction that we can overcome obstacles, heal divisions, and build a more just and compassionate world. Let us remember that hope is not naive optimism. Hope, in the Vincentian tradition, is rooted in the unwavering belief that God is present among the poor and the suffering. When we stand alongside them, we stand with Christ Himself.

Hope is the seed, but justice is the harvest.

If we do not act, hope remains just a dream. Justice must propel us to action, inspiring efforts that ripple outward, create lasting change, and making our world a better place. And so, we must also become fighters for Justice.

But we face a difficult challenge when frankly we sometimes must wonder if the world has lost its mind. A world that mirrors almost identically that of the 1830s in Paris, France, where Frédéric Ozanam wrote in 1836:

“The question that is agitating the world today is not of political forms, but it is a social one. It is a struggle between those who have nothing and those who have too much. It is a violent clash of opulence and poverty which is shaking the ground under our feet. Our duty as Christians is to intervene between these two camps, to ensure that some deprive themselves in order to fulfill a law, and others receive as a benefit; that some stop demanding and others stop refusing; that equality prevails as much as possible among people; that the voluntary community replaces taxes and forced borrowing, that love accomplishes what justice alone cannot do.”

So, as in 1836, we must become Advocates not only for Justice, but also for Love, transforming hope into action, and helping to heal our wounded world.

Yet the challenges of the world still face us and try to beat us down. A world where in January, thousands marched in our nation’s capital to advocate for the sanctity of life. Politicians came out, made speeches, had their pictures taken, then went right back up the marble stairs of the Capital and continued to plan how to cut billions of dollars in aid to babies who are born to the poor and the homeless. A world where it seems to be acceptable by some to cut 1.5 billion dollars in aid to USDA for food for the hungry, a billion dollars for vaccinations for the poor, and billions of dollars in aid to the homeless, the hungry, the sick, the unemployed and the elderly — all while spending trillions of dollars to plant a flag on Mars.

So, the world demands that we must become Advocates for Justice, transforming hope into action, and helping to heal our wounded world.

There are those who say we should not involve ourselves in advocacy or the great issues of the day. They say we should stay out of politics, be content with the charity we offer, and not try to change the things that cause or perpetuate poverty, dependency, and need.

To those people, I would say that if we do not use the knowledge and learning we uniquely gain through our personal encounters with the people we serve to help change the causes of poverty, dependence, and need then we are failing in our duty as Christians — and we are not being true to the foundations of our Society.

At SVdP, we serve those in need without regard for their demographics or creed, no matter what political party is in power. But the work of charity cannot, and must not, be neatly divided from the claims of justice. Make no mistake; while SVdP is not a political organization, our work and our faith demand that we advocate for those living in poverty.

Recall Frédéric Ozanam’s famous quote:

“Charity is the Samaritan who pours oil on the wounds of the traveler who has been attacked. It is justice’s role to prevent the attack.”

In 1848, Frédéric Ozanam was the Vice President of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. On the occasion of the General Assembly that year, he wrote a letter that spoke to the vital importance of advocacy that the Society was obligated to undertake based on how we encountered the poor. Frédéric wrote:

“Yes, without doubt, it is too little to relieve the needy day by day. It is necessary to get to the root of the evil, and by wise reforms to diminish the causes of public misery. But we profess to believe that the science of welfare reform is learned less in books and parliamentary debates, than by climbing up the floors of the poor man’s house, by sitting at his bedside, by suffering the same cold as him, and by drawing out the secret of his desolate heart through the outpouring of a friendly conversation. When we have fulfilled this ministry, not for a few months, but for many years; when we have thus studied the poor at home, at school, at the hospital, not in one city only, but in many, in the countryside and in all the conditions where God has put it, then we begin to know the elements of this formidable problem of misery; then we have the right to propose serious measures, and instead of frightening society, we give it consolation and hope.”

Those words are as true today as when they were written on December 14, 1848. They could have been written last week and been applicable to our world in 2025. They are our heritage, they are our history, they are the calling we must continue to follow in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul today. Those who don’t understand that simply do not understand the wholeness of the Society.

St. Vincent de Paul himself lived in a world plagued by war and social upheaval. But his response was not just to provide bread and wood. He developed a network of priests, religious, and laypeople to not only provide food, shelter, and spiritual comfort to the wounded and displaced, but worked for the release of galley slaves and sought to protect the most vulnerable, living out Christ’s call to be a peacemaker. Vincent’s actions remind us that even in times of great darkness, the light of charity and justice must shine together. Vincent condemned greed and political ambitions that fueled wars and created poverty, but he did so to restore dignity and hope to those who suffered.

From a Vincentian perspective, we must see beyond the political rhetoric and recognize the human face of every victim of poverty. Each refugee, each orphan, each grieving mother is Christ crucified anew. To follow Vincent’s path means to reject the idea that poverty and suffering are inevitable. It means believing that justice is possible, but only when we confront self-interest and systemic injustice.

Our call to serve the poor, the refugees, the sick and all those who suffer injustice and oppression is also deeply rooted in Scripture. The Old Testament prophets often reminded Israel of their duty to care for the marginalized. We hear Isaiah proclaim:

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”

That call tells us that our work must be holistic and transformative, addressing both immediate needs and systemic injustices.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus presents us with a clear and unambiguous description of how God will judge whether we lived out his commandment to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Jesus tells us that our service to others is not just a charitable act — but a divine mandate.

Tomorrow, April 4, we will open our second National Office in Washington, DC. We will increase our efforts to advocate on behalf of those we serve and turn our focus more intensely towards the pressing issues of our time, particularly the scourge of poverty and homelessness that afflicts far too many of our fellow Americans. Last year, SVdP USA provided over $1.7 billion in services directly to over 5 million people in need across this country. That’s not just a number — that’s 5 million lives changed, 5 million families given a second chance, 5 million reminders that love is unstoppable! The unique direct relationship we have with our neighbors through our personal encounters gives us a perspective and view from the reality of the poor that we will be able to share with policy makers and like-minded nonprofits and other organizations. To fail to do so would be a disservice to those we serve and an abandonment of our obligation to our faith.

The stark and shocking reality of America and the world today is that millions of our brothers and sisters lack basic necessities — affordable housing, nutritious food, and quality healthcare. Families live on the streets, children go to bed hungry, and the cycle of poverty persists. Imagine a mother putting her children down to sleep on a cold night with no bed and no roof overhead. Or a child going to school hungry, unable to focus on learning. This is the reality we must work to change.

This is a crisis of conscience for our nation and every nation. It is a stark reminder that the pursuit of individual prosperity cannot come at the expense of the common good. We are called, as followers of Christ, to be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. We are called to love our neighbors as ourselves.

What must we do next? How do we turn faith into action, hope into impact?

Primarily, we must open our eyes and our hearts to the suffering around us. We must acknowledge the realities of poverty and homelessness in our own communities. We must listen to the stories of those who are struggling, and we must seek to understand their experiences.

We cannot help if we do not understand. And we cannot understand if we do not listen.

Secondly, we must not only serve the poor, but stand beside them, speak for them, and challenge the systems that keep them in poverty. We must advocate for affordable housing, living wages, and access to quality education and healthcare. Our faith and our actions must walk hand in hand.

And finally, we must cultivate a spirit of solidarity and collective action. We must remember that we are all interconnected, and that the well-being of each of us is dependent on the well-being of all. We must work together to build a society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

As we look ahead, I am inspired by what we can accomplish together. Imagine a community where every child has access to food, every family has a safe place to call home, and every individual feels valued. Together, we can make that vision a reality.

The task before us is daunting, but not insurmountable. We cannot solve the problems of poverty and homelessness overnight. But we can, each one of us, make a difference. We can be a force for good in the world. We can build a more just and compassionate society, a society where everyone can live a life of dignity and hope.

Our goal must be not just to alleviate suffering but to encounter the divine in our service to others. By looking to the future with hope and embracing new ways of doing things, we serve in ways that are both meaningful and transformative.

We stand poised to face new challenges with courage and creativity. As we move forward, let us do so with hearts full of love, minds open to innovation, and spirits grounded in the timeless values of our faith.

Together, we can make a difference that echoes through the ages, bringing hope and healing to a world in need.

My Brothers and Sisters, the call to serve is a divine mandate that transcends time and tradition. Let us be committed and courageous in our approach to answering that call.

Together, we are the light that dispels the darkness. We are the hands of Christ, the voice of the voiceless, the hope of the hopeless. And we will not stop until justice is done, until love reigns, until all are seen, heard, and embraced in dignity.

As we move forward with courage and faith; without fear or apprehension let us be inspired by the words of Blessed Frédéric Ozanam: “Let us not be discouraged; let us be better.”

In closing, I offer you the words of St. Vincent de Paul: “Go to the poor: you will find God.” This simple yet profound directive guides all of us in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in our mission to serve with love and compassion.

Peace and God’s blessings,
John

John Berry
National President

(Note: Some of the content of this reflection was adapted from the March 27, 2025 FamVin Vincentian Reflection, “Hope and Peace in a World Torn by War”)

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A Thrift Store Reborn: Rekindling the Spirit of Service in Albuquerque
A Thrift Store Reborn: Rekindling the Spirit of Service in Albuquerque 644 429 SVDP USA

A Thrift Store Reborn: Rekindling the Spirit of Service in Albuquerque

Since its opening in 2012, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s (SVdP) thrift store in Albuquerque has made it its mission to serve the community. But operational challenges and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic recently put the store’s future in jeopardy. And now faith, perseverance, and community support have given the store a fresh start.

The Albuquerque thrift store is one of more than 380 SVdP thrift stores across the country, each one supporting vulnerable individuals by providing affordable essentials, shopping vouchers, and financial assistance for local SVdP Conferences and homelessness prevention programs.

The Albuquerque location faced its share of setbacks, struggling with outdated systems, staffing shortages, and security concerns. At the same time, the need in Albuquerque has grown. As of August 2024, homelessness in the city has more than doubled over the past two years. Unprecedented rent increases and shortages of affordable housing have left many residents seeking assistance from SVdP.

Fueled by dedicated volunteers, new leadership, and a renewed sense of purpose, SVdP’s network of charity transformed the store — ensuring it remains a community resource for those experiencing homelessness.

In July 2023, Linda Strasburg, who had recently been named interim Archdiocesan Council President for Albuquerque, contacted SVdP’s National Thrift Store Committee to assess the store. Store Support Director Jeffrey Beamguard, a veteran of the thrift industry with over 40 years of experience, visited in November to evaluate the situation. Some of his key recommendations included implementing a new POS system to boost sales, hiring additional staff, increasing security to prevent vandalism and dumpster diving, and improving the store’s overall appearance.

“It will not be easy to change what has been the norm for years. Now is the time to completely embrace this plan and give it 100% by everyone,” said Jeff in his assessment.

Local Vincentians accepted the challenge.

Linda, now serving as the Archdiocese Council Santa Fe Board President, got straight to work with local leaders. In February 2024, they hired Brittany Deloya as the new store manager.

“When Brittany joined the team, she had no prior management experience. SVdP supported her by covering coursework at a local college and training at the SVdP national store location in Phoenix, and she has embraced every learning opportunity since,” said Linda.

The team began applying Jeff’s recommendations, including updating the POS system and reorganizing the backend of the business. Raymond, whom Brittany referred to as ‘the handyman,’ installed freezer strips to help regulate the store’s temperature, painted signs, and put up walls to create a fitting room. He also removed the security bars from the windows so The Knights of Columbus could give them a fresh cleaning. A volunteer with experience working on airplanes offered to repair the trucks at a discounted rate, allowing the store to resume donation pickups. Clearinghouse Manager Luana Salazar’s husband painted the building.

“All the things that we’ve implemented make the store and the warehouse better. It has improved 120%,” said Luana. “It’s lively, it’s open, it’s clean.”

As improvements were made, customers took notice and shared their appreciation for the changes.

“I do consistently hear feedback about how the store looks, the appearance, and the way we’ve arranged it,” said Brittany. “They’ve told me they enjoy shopping here and that this has become one of their go-to thrift stores on weekends.”

When it came time for the grand reopening, Archbishop John C. Wester led the blessing ceremony for the thrift store, warehouse, and clearinghouse. In addition to SVdP leadership, staff and volunteers, representatives from The Catholic Foundation, the Knights of Columbus, and more were in attendance.

“In 2 Timothy, Paul tells us to rekindle the fire that is within us. When the fire dies down, we must stir the ashes and find the hot spots in order to rekindle the spirit. Throughout this last year we have rekindled the fire of our work by making many changes and improvements in our facility including security fencing, exterior painting and a state-of-the-art point of sales system. We have rekindled our vision,” said Linda in her grand reopening remarks.

As the team looks ahead, plans are in development to build a food pantry on the property, which could create a one-stop-shop where those in need could get food, clothes, and furniture.

“I don’t think we’re done growing. If you were to talk with us in six months to a year, I believe we’d have similar stories to tell,” said Linda.

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A Midyear Meeting to Remember in St. Louis
A Midyear Meeting to Remember in St. Louis 2560 1707 SVDP USA

Vincentians from all across the United States gathered together March 5-8 in downtown St. Louis at the Midyear Business Meeting of SVdP USA. While in attendance, leaders learned about governance, leadership, advocacy, and finance, while renewing and deepening shared spirituality and friendships with one another. More than 200 leaders were in attendance, representing all nine regions and hundreds of SVdP Conferences.

National President John Berry welcomed members with his Presidential Address on Thursday with this speech. He began his address in this way: “Every night, more than a half a million people in America experience homelessness. Imagine walking past them knowing they are someone’s mother, father, or child. As Vincentians, we cannot simply walk by — we are called to act. As Vincentians, and as Christians, we understand our profound responsibility to act boldly in service to others.”

Other highlights included Director David Garcia’s update on the SoCal wildfire relief efforts, Archbishop Andrew Bellisario CM’s spiritual retreat, a Good Governance workshop with John Hallissy, and a Finance Presentation by Ed McCarthy.

To make our meeting times together more effective, SVdP USA is moving away from the Midyear Meeting starting in 2026. Instead, SVdP will focus on regional meetings and meetings of other affinity groups, including Executive Directors, Stores, Spiritual Advisors, Conference Presidents, and more.

See below for highlights of last week’s Midyear Meeting, and view video presentations here.

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Devastating Wildfires Heighten Importance of Homelessness Prevention in California
Devastating Wildfires Heighten Importance of Homelessness Prevention in California 2048 1536 SVDP USA
by David Garcia, Executive Director, The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Los Angeles

The wildfires that devastated Los Angeles and surrounding communities have brought the threat of homelessness ever closer to countless doorsteps.

I’m not just talking about the tens of thousands who were displaced by the fires, many of whom face the awful challenge of finding a place to live and rebuilding their lives after their home was destroyed. All sorts of establishments were also destroyed — offices and shops, restaurants and schools, parks and recreation centers. According to Morgan Stanley, an estimated 20,000-40,000 jobs were lost from the fires — another devastating and long-term impact. For many Californians, this job loss and profound disruption pushes them closer to the brink of homelessness.

Make no mistake: Even before the fires, California residents have been struggling. The average median rent in California is already $2,763 — 38% higher than the national average, according to Zillow — and that was before the housing supply in Los Angeles took a catastrophic hit. Many Californians need to find a new job, a new home, or both – when they were already struggling to keep up with rent and feed their families. That situation puts far too many California families far too close to the edge of homelessness.

Responding to this situation effectively means responding to it proactively. While many homelessness services organizations focus on what happens after someone becomes homeless, homelessness prevention is at once far more effective and humane. It involves identifying and supporting people who are on the verge of losing their homes – assessing their underlying threats to homelessness and taking preventative measures that will keep them housed.

This is our approach at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. We administer Home Visits to those seeking assistance to meet them where they are and learn the best ways, tailored to their specific situation, to help keep them in stable housing and off the streets.

Since the fires broke out, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Conferences in the neighborhoods that were affected by the fires have been tirelessly active in addressing the critical needs of their communities. Conferences and the Los Angeles Council have hosted fire relief distributions. Items given out include shoes, clothing, food, water, towels, pet supplies, and baby essentials. In addition, gift cards were distributed, and immediate financial assistance was offered. We continue to work with the fire victims once they move into new housing by providing move-in assistance and home furnishings through St. Vincent de Paul’s National Disaster Services Corp’s House in a Box program.

According to a recent study conducted by Notre Dame’s Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO), persons who received an average of $2,000 in emergency financial assistance were 81% less likely to become homeless within six months of enrollment and 73% less likely within 12 months.

The state of California has spent $24 billion on homelessness in the past five years. Granting that much of that money is well spent, consider how acute the crisis remains. How much farther could that spending go if we invested some of it in preventing homelessness rather than ameliorating its worst effects? As we look to help those who lost their livelihoods in the fires, it’s time to find out just how effective prevention can be. I am confident it will alleviate a much higher long-term housing crisis in the future.

Homelessness isn’t going away in California. The aftermath of the wildfires in Los Angeles is a stark reminder of that. There is a pressing need to step in and intervene now, before the demand for affordable housing becomes too great and more families are forced out of their homes. By turning our attention to prevention, we can work together to stop the future scourge of homelessness in Los Angeles.

Helping families on the brink of homelessness saint vincent de paul 2
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I’ve been homeless and served the homeless. Real help starts with listening.
I’ve been homeless and served the homeless. Real help starts with listening. 1080 720 SVDP USA

I’ve been homeless and served the homeless. Real help starts with listening.

By Bill Smith, Society of St. Vincent de Paul Kentucky 

I’VE BEEN IN THE “HOMELESSNESS BUSINESS” FOR 40 YEARS. This includes nine months of what I call “hardcore time”  on the street, but I have spent most of the rest of the time living or working in shelters. Other than being employed in security, working with the homeless is the only job I’ve ever known.

In my case, alcohol dependency and some personal trauma first led me to the homelessness arena. In 2023, I moved to Kentucky after a couple of decades in another southern state. I wasn’t doing well. I’d lost my job, my health was poor, and I wanted to live near family. When I got there, I went to a place for the homeless and they sent me to Ozanam Inn Men’s Shelter, run by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

It was the first shelter I’d ever stayed in that had no curfew.

You might think that policy is ill-advised. You might think that if you’re helping people (like myself) who struggle with substance abuse, it makes sense to impose a curfew. But let me tell you, being treated as a person who has the freedom to take responsibility for himself is a very powerful thing.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul actually listens to the people they serve better than any other organization I’ve been involved with. They try their best to get to know the individual person and understand their struggles — again, to peel back the layers of the onion. It makes a huge difference.

You say you want to help the homeless? Here’s a crazy thought: Why don’t you ask somebody who’s homeless what they want, and listen to what they have to say? What a concept, right? But paternalism seems to be the default approach in interactions with folks who are homeless. Plenty of times I’ve had people who don’t even know me tell me what I need or why I’m homeless. That, I think, is part of the problem.

It wasn’t long before the Society of St. Vincent de Paul invited me onto their program committee and advisory board. I was at Ozanam Inn for nine months before moving into a place of my own, where I live today.

We do a terrible disservice to people in this country when we stigmatize and criminalize people who are homeless or have issues with mental health or addiction. When you meet me, I want you to see me as Bill Smith, from the board of directors of St. Vincent de Paul in Kentucky. Not with the stigma of “homeless man” or “alcoholic.” We have to normalize the conversation around homelessness, to destigmatize it before we can treat it. I want you to know my name and define me by my character, not by my situation.

Read more of Bill’s story on the SVdP Kentucky website. 

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Home Visit Highlight: SVdP Delivers Hope for the Holidays to Long Island Family
Home Visit Highlight: SVdP Delivers Hope for the Holidays to Long Island Family 1198 1198 SVDP USA

Home Visit Highlight: SVdP Delivers Hope for the Holidays to Long Island Family 

No family deserves to spend the holidays sharing one mattress on the floor of their apartment.

Josephine Melton-McGovern and Marianne Simpson, two volunteers for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, couldn’t believe what they saw last November when they first stepped inside the apartment of a family of four in Long Island. The room was barren—no furniture in sight, just a single mattress where the mother, father, and their two young children, a two-year-old and a four-month-old, all slept together.

“I saw it as a safety issue, especially for the four-month-old,” said Josephine. “I explained it to the mother, and she was all ears. She understood what I was saying.”

That same day, Josephine and Marianne helped deliver a donated portable crib for the baby. The next day, they stocked the family’s shelves with food and drawers with clothing. Within three days, the family’s apartment was fully furnished with a new mattress, box spring, and frame, along with blankets, sheets, pillows, two dressers, a sofa, end tables, a coffee table, and a kitchen table with chairs.

Two days later, the family also enjoyed a real Thanksgiving dinner, thanks to a turkey and fixings provided by SVdP.

“All [the mother] kept saying was ‘Thank you! Thank you!’ They were so grateful. We were so glad they had a nice Thanksgiving – I was so worried about that.”

As part of their Vincentian charism, Josephine and Marianne serve families like this every day. They know that a lack of bare necessities is the grim reality for many who have lost their homes or are on the brink of homelessness. This family had recently moved out of a shelter and into an apartment—a success story in the minds of many organizations. But they had also lost all their belongings due to a roach infestation.

Marianne and Josephine visited the family as part of a Home Visit Encounter, a core tenet of SVdP’s work. In the Home Visit, Vincentians go in pairs to visit those they serve. In doing so, they are able to assess the family’s situation in a way that many other charitable organizations are not. Because of that Home Visit, Marianne and Josephine were able to discern that the family needed more than just a new mattress.

Michael Bedell, president of the St. Frances Cabrini Conference for SVdP, learned of the Long Island family’s needs from a questionnaire they filled out on the organization’s website. He then gave them a call to get more information and schedule a Home Visit. The family is one of 65 that he and his Conference have administered Home Visits for in the last year.

“We’re calling each family and are basically saying to them, ‘Is there anything we can do for you during the holidays?’” said Michael. “It might be a ham, it could be a toy, it could be anything … but we try to put those touches on people so they can have a good holiday. We also recognize that Christmas can’t end in December. It’s got to go all year round.”

And it does. Every day, SVdP Councils and Conferences all over the globe are helping individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness – through services such as rent and utility assistance, shelters, food pantries, thrift stores, pharmacies and medical clinics, and much more.

For Marianne, the Home Visits particularly hit home.

“I feel so fortunate to help because I’ve been in that situation – I raised five children on my own,” Marianne said. “I know what it’s like to have to reach out, go to the church, go to social services – all of those things. The more people that I can help to not have to go through that, the more it makes me feel good.”

SVdP USA flips the traditional model of a nonprofit in the homelessness services sector. Instead of vulnerable individuals having to go out and seek things like food, clothing, and support, SVdP’s Vincentian volunteers come to them via the Home Visit, providing tangible assistance, a listening ear, and friendship.

Bedell says it’s the instinct of a Vincentian to go out and serve.

“We all do it from our hearts with no expectations,” he said. “But when we give, we also receive back. We all close our eyes at night knowing that we changed a life. There is no better feeling in the world and it is a feeling more people should seek.”

 

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