2023 National Assembly Youth Poverty Simulation
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Youth from Around the World Gather in Lisbon for World Youth Day 2023
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Once every three years, youth and young adult Catholics from around the world come together to celebrate World Youth Day, a worldwide encounter with the Pope. WYD is open to all young people who want to take part in a festive encounter centered on Jesus Christ together with their peers. It is an opportunity to personally experience the universality of the Catholic Church, and to share with the whole world the hope of many young people who are committing their lives to Christ and His Church. 
This year’s World Youth Day was held in Lisbon, Portugal.
“WYD 2023 with Pope Francis truly showed how universal the Catholic Church is. People from around the world, speaking different languages, different nationalities, and cultures came to WYD with one commonality — God being our Father,” said John Paul Brissette, a member of the National Youth Committee. “Just being in the city with millions of young Catholics praying, praising, and signing was a sight and a feeling I will never forget. Although we may be speaking different languages, we are all saying the same thing.”
“My favorite part of the World Youth Day experience was being able to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima in Fatima, Portugal,” said Luna Mata, Development and Communications Coordinator for SVdP Dallas. “Visiting the place where our Blessed Mother stood and taught us so much was incredibly humbling and beautiful.”
In collaboration with World Youth Day, the International Society of St. Vincent de Paul took the opportunity to gather its young people together in celebration of the Vincentian Charism. This gathering was called The International Vincentian Youth Meeting (ICYM) and the theme was “I am neither from here nor from there, but from wherever God wants me to be.” The theme was inspired by a sentence from St. Vincent de Paul to the Daughters of Charity in 1634. 
As part of these celebrations, the U.S. Council sponsored a number of Youth and Young Adults to travel to Portugal and participate in these special events.
“Before we attended World Youth Day, we had the privilege of attending the Vincentian Family Gathering where we had the opportunity to share our Vincentian Charism with other Vincentians from around the world,” said John Paul. “We discussed common struggles Vincentians face and tried to work toward solutions together. The weekend was filled with friendship, services, and spirituality.”
“We followed in Mary’s footsteps with ‘haste’ throughout World Youth Day, so ending with this spiritual blessing and joy from our Mother was incredible,” said Luna.
We are so blessed that the SVdP U.S. National Council was able to be a part of this experience. It was a transformative experience for all the young people who participated. They returned with renewed zeal for their Catholic faith and those that attended on behalf of SVdP have a renewed dedication to the Vincentian mission. God bless all who participated!
The next World Youth Day will be held in Seoul, South Korea in 2027.
Final Winner of Youth Award Announced!
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This year, the National Youth Committee hosted a Society-wide search for young people doing amazing work in their community. Vincentians from around the Country nominated youth from their Councils for the new Alice Garvey Excellence in Youth Award which will be presented at the National Assembly in Baltimore.
The committee would now like to spotlight the winners of this prestigious award. “Each and every single one of our nominees we have shared with you over the last few weeks displayed hope for the future of the Society. Youth from all over the country are doing amazing acts of charity on behalf of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul,” said John Paul Brissette, National Youth Committee Member. “Although they were all deserving of this award, two nominations stood out. The winners of this award showed how they are embodying the Vincentian charism of faith, friendship, and service in their daily lives through the works they do. The Youth Committee is proud to introduce you to the first of our two winners.”
The Youth Committee hopes the stories of each youth spotlighted over the last few weeks has encouraged and motivated you to inspire youth to get involved in your local Diocese.
Brandon Patrick Davis — San Antonio Southwest Texas Council
In the middle of the pandemic (2020), Brandon Patrick Davis, began a campaign called Find Five Friends for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. When Brandon learned about the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. He was moved by the story of Frédéric Ozanam and how he started SVdP with the help of his friends. In the spirit of Frédéric Ozanam, he felt called to do something. Brandon called five of his friends from different Catholic schools and asked them to join him on a Zoom call to see how they could help people in need. It was during the call that Brandon created the campaign Find Five Friends. The campaign formally launched in June of 2020. This group of Catholic freshmen began asking other Catholic youth in San Antonio to each find five friends that could give $5, 5 cans of food, and recruit 5 more friends to help the SVdP. Brandon felt that even if he and his friends couldn’t be together in person, they could use the power of social media and “going viral” to support people suffering. The campaign is still going today. It has even caught the attention of two local universities and they are planning to meet with Brandon to see if they can bring Find Five Friends to their college campuses.
Brandon’s hope is that Find Five Friends will become a national movement (with the help of the national office) and more young people will learn about the great works of SVdP in their community and in communities across the world. Brandon is now a sophomore at Antonian College Preparatory. He has become the campus spokesperson for SVdP and even presented on the works SVdP. Brandon has also shared the story of Frédéric Ozanam to ten local Catholic elementary, middle, and high schools in an effort to recruit students to serve. It is our Council’s recommendation that Brandon Patrick Davis be considered for the Alice Garvey Excellence in Youth Award. He not only embodies the Vincentian charisms of spirituality, friendship, and service…he is calling others his age to live out these charisms as well.
First Winner of Alice Garvey Excellence in Youth Award Announced
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This year, the National Youth Committee hosted a Society-wide search for young people doing amazing work in their community. Vincentians from around the Country nominated youth from their Councils for the new Alice Garvey Excellence in Youth Award which will be presented at the National Assembly in Baltimore.
The committee would now like to spotlight the winners of this prestigious award. “Each and every single one of our nominees we have shared with you over the last few weeks displayed hope for the future of the Society. Youth from all over the country are doing amazing acts of charity on behalf of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul,” said John Paul Brissette, National Youth Committee Member. “Although they were all deserving of this award, two nominations stood out. The winners of this award showed how they are embodying the Vincentian charism of faith, friendship, and service in their daily lives through the works they do. The Youth Committee is proud to introduce you to the first of our two winners.”
The Youth Committee hopes the stories of each youth spotlighted over the last few weeks has encouraged and motivated you to inspire youth to get involved in your local Diocese.
Mia Humphrey – San Diego Diocesan Council
Mia Humphrey served her Conference, St. John Mini Vinnies, as the president two out of the five years the Conference has existed. I heard that the “aging Society” needs to provide opportunities for our youth, and let them stand on our shoulders to see what more can be done. With Vincentians like Mia, I see that we can provide them with spiritual guidance, and allow them to do the great things God is calling them to do.
In 2018, Mia began her service by attending the SVdP National Assembly in San Diego and she went all in from there. During this time, her father had just passed away. Mia was strong in supporting her mother and brother. Mia’s energy, positive attitude, and passion are testament to her strength. Mia is stronger than many many adults I know. In the midst of this personal struggle, she supported and nourished her Mini Vinnies to grow. Mia was responsible for her Conference’s “Yarn Hearts” project. The Mini Vinnies created hearts out of yarn to provide to adults to give out on Home Visits. Each heart came with a handwritten message of love attached.
Mia is an excellent role model and has been instrumental in bringing youth to the Conference and keeping them engaged. During the Covid months, when face-to-face meetings were limited, Mia led her Conference through these challenging times and continued to meet each first Friday on Zoom in spirituality, friendship, and service. When the Society was informed of a pregnant woman in need, Mia jumped at the opportunity to help plan a baby shower for the mother over Zoom and provide beautiful gifts for the new baby. In addition to keeping our parish’s Mini Vinnies together, Mia has welcomed the challenge of inviting other youth from nearby parishes to open similar groups.
Mia graduated high school this spring and is excited to start college in the fall, she looks to carry on her Vincentian passion at the University of Portland. She embraces all the Vincentian qualities. She is positive, generous, humble, gentle, zealous, loving, and fun. She has strong leadership skills, and happily serves anyone in need. The Vincentian charisms of spirituality, friendship, and service are an integral part of her daily life and this is why I nominated Mia Humphrey for the Alice Garvey Excellence in Youth Award.
Next Nominee for Youth Award Announced
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This year, the National Youth Committee hosted a Society-wide search for young people doing amazing work in their community. Vincentians from around the country nominated youth from their Councils for the new Alice Garvey Excellence in Youth Award which will be presented at the National Assembly in Baltimore.
“As a committee, we were blown away by the number of submissions and the incredible projects these youth were doing on behalf of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul,” said John Paul Brissette, National Youth Committee Member. “Each week leading up to the National Assembly, we will be shining the spotlight on the nominees and their stories. Our goal is to encourage and celebrate our youth involvement in SVdP with excerpts directly written by those who nominated them.
This week, we would like to introduce our next nominee:
Amy Lee – Los Angeles
Amy started volunteering near the end of elementary school because her parents were already Vincentians. She began delivering food to homeless shelters. When Amy entered high school she became more engaged with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. She began to encourage her friends to join and volunteer with her, she succeeded. Amy and her friends began collecting and delivering socks, shirts, pants, and daily necessities as well as serving the homeless at meal sites. In 2019, Amy attended a Vincentian retreat to grow in spirituality with her fellow Vincentians. Her service earned her the 2019 President’s Service Award. In 2021 she attended another Vincentian retreat as well as the San Pedro district annual meeting. I know she will be a member that will continue to volunteer in the future to the best of her ability that is why I nominate Amy Lee for the Alex Garvey Excellence in Youth Award.
Another Round of Nominees Announced for Youth Award
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This year, the National Youth Committee hosted a Society-wide search for young people doing amazing work in their community. Vincentians from around the country nominated youth from their Councils for the new Alice Garvey Excellence in Youth Award which will be presented at the National Assembly in Baltimore.
“As a committee, we were blown away by the number of submissions and the incredible projects these youth were doing on behalf of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul,” said John Paul Brissette, National Youth Committee Member. “Each week leading up to the National Assembly, we will be shining the spotlight on the nominees and their stories. Our goal is to encourage and celebrate our youth involvement in SVdP with excerpts directly written by those who nominated them.
This week, we would like to introduce our first two nominees:
Kaitlyn Leder – St. Peter Conference Macomb, MI
In 2015, ten-year-old Kaitlyn Leder declared she wanted to join St. Vincent de Paul at St. Peter’s Church so she could help other people. So began her seven-year journey with us. Kaitlyn became an activist among her peers to build a poverty informed community. She approached the state representative for our district and convinced him to visit our pantry to witness our outreach initiatives to reduce the isolation of our neighbors and to help them find the tools to regain their financial and social comfort levels. Now a junior in high school, Kaitlyn continues to involve other students in our activities including organizing a Christmas food drive to benefit the pantry. We are proud of Kaitlyn for who she is and how she is selfless with her time and energy to serve the less fortunate. Kaitlyn embodies one of the goals of our ministry – to see the face of Jesus in those we serve.
Scotty Leonard – San Bernardino Needles SVdP
Scotty is a Freshman in Needles High School and is currently attending Special Education classes. Scotty understands that giving his love, his talent, and his time is more important than giving money. Scotty started volunteering in October 2021 and began working about 20 hours a month. Since and including January 2022, Scotty has worked between 80 and 100 hours every month, to date. In 2021, Needles St. Vincent’s provided a Thanksgiving Dinner and Christmas Dinner, to the entire community of Needles. We served over 600 meals on those two days with Scotty’s help. Young members keep St. Vincent’s young. Scotty sees with new eyes and is always looking ahead. A good leader must first learn how to follow, then he/she can lead. Scotty work experience with St. Vincent’s in the Needles, has exposed his true spirituality and respect for the poor. This has helped Scotty to grow as a leader.
Next Round of Nominees Announced for Alice Garvey Excellence in Youth Award
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This year, the National Youth Committee hosted a Society-wide search for young people doing amazing work in their community. Vincentians from around the country nominated youth from their Councils for the new Alice Garvey Excellence in Youth Award which will be presented at the National Assembly in Baltimore.
“As a committee, we were blown away by the number of submissions and the incredible projects these youth were doing on behalf of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul,” said John Paul Brissette, National Youth Committee Member. “Each week leading up to the National Assembly, we will be shining the spotlight on the nominees and their stories. Our goal is to encourage and celebrate our youth involvement in SVdP with excerpts directly written by those who nominated them.
This week, we would like to introduce our first two nominees:
Aaron Wohlberg – SVdP St Charles Borromeo
Aaron has been a member of the St. Charles Borromeo St. Vincent de Paul Conference as a Mini Vinnie for two years. As a Mini Vinnie, Aaron has dedicated himself in service to the St. Vincent de Paul Society. As a Mini Vinnie Aaron has served our Conference in many ways. He has helped with the Backpack Program for two years. The Backpack Program provides weekend meals for 50 children in the Orchard
Farm School District. The Assistant Principal of Aaron’s school described Aaron as, “Willing to help wherever needed without being asked.” His Troop Leader describes him as, “Respectful and helpful to the older scouts and adult leaders.”
Kate Polakowski- SVdP St Andrew Conference of Sierra Vista, AZ
She has been involved in our St Vincent de Paul Council’s food drives, walks for the poor, Thanksgiving food basket distributions, and community food bank monthly commodities distributions. She serves the needs of the poor for 17 hours per week while completing her Associates Degree as a Certified Nursing Assistant. She puts into action in very many ways the Vincentian charisms of spirituality, friendship, and service.
First Round of Nominees Announced for Alice Garvey Excellence in Youth Award
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This year, the National Youth Committee hosted a Society-wide search for young people doing amazing work in their community. Vincentians from around the country nominated youth from their Councils for the new Alice Garvey Excellence in Youth Award which will be presented at the National Assembly in Baltimore.
“As a committee, we were blown away by the number of submissions and the incredible projects these youth were doing on behalf of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul,” said John Paul Brissette, National Youth Committee Chairperson. “Each week leading up to the National Assembly, we will be shining the spotlight on the nominees and their stories. Our goal is to encourage and celebrate our youth involvement in SVdP with excerpts directly written by those who nominated them.
This week, we would like to introduce our first two nominees:
River Vogelsang — Diocesan Council of Phoenix
River Vogelsang is currently a freshman in high school. He first joined the Mini-Vinnies in fifth grade at his middle school and served as his Conference’s president for two terms. Under his leadership, his Conference doubled in size and expanded service projects and activities. They participated in food serving, ministering to the homeless, food drives, and much more. River was the featured speaker at two Phoenix Diocesan Council board leadership retreats. Last year, River represented his District Council at the National Assembly in Houston. His dedication and commitment to serving the poor has touched the hearts of many long-time Vincentians. Few people his age have so fully and ardently embraced the mission and works of the Society. In the endearing spirit of our youth, he quietly emulates the essential virtues of St. Vincent de Paul. You only need to meet River to know that he is a true Vincentian, and to believe that, because of his efforts, and those of his youthful compatriots likewise infused with Frederic’s zeal, the future of our Society will be in good hands.
Madeline McMillen — Columbia River District Council Southwest Washington
Madeline and her mother, Wendy, reached out to the Society when she was just 13. Since age 11, she had been collecting toys at Christmas to provide to non-profits for distribution. In 2018, she chose to collect toys for SVdP. In 2018, she collected 725 toys, but that number has grown each and every year. In 2021, she collected 972 toys, a record number. In the past four years, she’s collected a total of 3,319 toys to give away to 4,513 children in 1,657 families through the SVdP Christmas gift program. Madeline has a helpful heart and shows leadership, dedication and perseverance. She has brought so much joy to families during the Christmas season.
Be sure to see the e-Gazette each week leading up to the National Assembly for more nominee highlights!
Young Adult Vincentians Use Social Media Fame to Support Their Neighbors in Need
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John Paul Brissette, a member of the SVdP National Youth Committee, and his brother, Francis Brissette, have Vincentian blood pulsing through their veins. Their mother, Renee, is the
Executive Director of the Rhode Island Council, and along with their siblings Kat and Peter, they are founding members of Rhode Island’s Youth and Young Adult Conference, called Next Gen.
Over the past couple of years, John Paul and Francis have worked hard and become social media influencers. They publish family-friendly comedy content using various internet platforms like Twitch, TikTok, and YouTube.
“We grew from two brothers whose only follower was our mom, to a follower base of nearly two million in just over a year,” said John Paul.
Recently, the brothers decided it was time they returned to their Vincentian roots. They wanted to use their internet fame to help those in their community who were suffering. “We knew we were given a gift from God, and with having some of the best fans in the world, we knew we needed to give back.”
They hosted a 24-hour live stream on Twitch as a fundraiser for SVdP Rhode Island’s Necessities for Neighbors program. The live-stream offered the brothers an opportunity to teach people about SVdP and the work that Vincentians do to help neighbors in need. They also spent time playing games and making people laugh, something they are very good at.
“We raised over $2,500 and counting, and promoted an Amazon wishlist for people to purchase toiletries and other items for Necessities for Neighbors,” said John Paul. “We also posted a video to YouTube promoting the stream, with ad revenue going directly to SVdP Rhode Island.”
The following weekend, they promoted and sponsored the first-ever Do Gud Day. It was an event which promoted youth volunteering in a fun and competitive way. 
Sixteen youth and young adults were split into two teams, who held a friendly competition of filling backpacks with toiletries and notes to give out to people in need in the community through SVdP Rhode Island’s Necessities for Neighbors program. Kat Brissette, their sister and SVdP National Board Member, designed the day by creating a program and resources that can be packaged and used in any location.
“JP and I have been given a gift which every day feels like dumb luck. Our mantra is ‘you were put on this world to make a difference,'” said Francis. “And when you are just two kids from Rhode Island, or young people anywhere, you tend to struggle with figuring out just how you can make a difference. With our internet fame, which we believe is a gift from God and something we have always dreamed about, and our work with the Society, we now feel like we’re finally making that difference in the world.”
To watch the video about Do Gud Day, click here.
If you are interested in following the Brissettes and their social media accounts, you can find all that information on their website: https://broskiesstudios.com/.