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Dear Vincentians and Friends,
Christmas. For many of us, the preparation for this joyous event begins the day after Thanksgiving. We run to the stores to buy piles of gifts for those we love. We spend hours searching for the perfect gift, wrapping it in colorful paper, all to see our loved ones smile on Christmas morning because we demonstrated how much we love them with our choice of gifts.
The days between Thanksgiving and Christmas are overflowing with Christmas parties with friends, family, and co-workers; Christmas card writing; baking platters of Christmas cookies; decorating our homes with all our treasured memories from Christmases past; and for us Vincentians, trying to make sure every family that comes to us will have enough food to eat, gifts to share and a warm home to celebrate our Lord’s birthday.
But, year after year is all this holiday busyness disrupting our inner silence and unbalancing our Spiritual peace? How can we grow in God’s love if we are not spending quiet time with Him as we await His arrival? This is the gift of Advent, taking time to grow in our relationship with God as we wait for His arrival. Just like Jesus, we should spend time away from the hustle and bustle that the Advent season has become. “In those days he departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God.” Luke 6:12
So, during Advent season, I hope you found your way to God’s heart through silent prayer, felt His mighty love, and rested in the warmest place to celebrate the most perfect gift ever received: the birth of our Lord. Now that was a demonstration of love to make you smile.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.
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"Ask Mike" - Our Q&A series addresses common questions Chicagoland Vincentians may have as they go about their work for the Society. Have a question? Email us at [email protected]
Q: Our Conference has been using an online database application to track our home visits. The vendor is making changes so we may need to alter what we do. As a by-product, a Vincentian member has questioned the need for tracking at all, saying that the information should be confidential and secure. Is there any stipulation regarding tracking of confidential information and the need for Conferences to have this information? Most home visitors appreciate the ability to review previous contacts with the same families over time. Also, we certainly are able to gather non-family specific information about the number of families served and the type of assistance. I would appreciate any information you could provide on this topic.
A: Within the Secretary’s Minute book, you will find the following:
10. Conference and Case Records
Included in the Minute Book – though not an integral part of the Minutes – are case record forms. Individual case records are to be maintained with respect to all cases that come to the attention of the Conference. These records are confidential in nature. Composition is the responsibility of the visitors who are assigned to the individual cases. Visitors update their entries in conjunction with the Conference meetings at which they report their visits and contacts with clients. Visitors do not, however, keep such records in their personal possession. At the close of the Conference meeting, records are returned to the Secretary who is responsible for their safekeeping.
Along with this, keep in mind our responsibility to our donors and other stakeholders for accountability both from the standpoint of good stewardship and legally to the IRS. We are accountable for all of the funds and other resources given for our use and must keep proper records of the use of those resources.
Q: In regard to SVDP possibility of granting scholarships to elementary or high school students: surely you know that while education may be free in all communities, the free education, nor physical safety are most certainly not of equal value in all communities.
A: The choice to respond is yours in this case. It is not a choice of quality of education. The Society provides assistance where need is shown – not choice of possibilities. The work of the Society is to help those in need to overcome the need but not to simply accommodate choice. The case may be made that a particular student needs to go to a private school because the existence of gangs in his/her current school is a danger to him/her specifically. However, this cannot be used as a general rule. The quality of education will vary from one private school to another as well.
by Mike Syslo
ADC Vice President
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SVdP Chicago Wants to Say THANK YOU for Your Support
Your gift to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Chicago has been instrumental in helping our Friends in Need who are struggling to stay out of poverty and to the migrants, that we can provide them with the basic necessities to survive during this time of uncertainty for many of them.
No matter what your reason for giving to the Society, we want you to know that we appreciate it and are humbled that you considered our organization on #GivingTuesday! We do not take it for granted that our work would not be possible without supporters like you. Your giving spirit empowers us to impact the lives of our Friends in Need throughout Cook and Lake Counties.
Your donations have helped us to provide clothing, basic necessities, furniture, mattresses, rental and utility assistance, funeral assistance and so much more this past year to those struggling to stay out of poverty and will continue to help us in 2024 and years to come.
Once again, we are sincerely grateful for your continued support of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
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St. Vincent de Paul Chicago-ADC 2023 Annual Appeal
With the holiday season quickly approaching, the call for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Chicago and our volunteer members to help our Friends in Need is immense. The Society has been proudly serving in our local communities since 1857 and pray we can continue for many years to come. Most recently, we have been helping the migrants who have arrived in the Chicagoland area with only the clothes on their backs with personal hygiene kits, winter clothing, and backpacks containing essentials to keep them warm and healthy during the long winter months. Poverty and homelessness are not a new phenomenon for us. We answer calls for assistance every day - desperate people who have nowhere else to turn, people whose constant companions are fear and worry.
We understand that the past several years have been tough on everyone. With increased job loss and illnesses to inflation on gas prices, groceries, and daily essentials that continue to rise, we decide what to skip on the list of things we were going to buy. Some of us struggle to pay the rent while others are praying for a miracle to stay in their homes. You can be the miracle that allows a family to stay warm this winter season; the miracle that provides food to hungry children, coats, undergarments, and simple necessities to those who so desperately need it.
This past year, your support and generosity has allowed our Council to provide over thousands of dollars for rental and utility bill assistance to our friends in need. Added to the assistance given by our 80+ conferences throughout Cook and Lake Counties, countless individuals and families have been helped. In addition, our involvement with disaster relief enables us to further our reach to our friends in need with immediate assistance when all is lost suddenly. In addition, through our SVdP thrift store voucher program, families in need of essentials such as clothing, diapers, household items, and much more, received items in excess of $70,000. All of us need a little help from time to time. I have learned that many times, those in poverty, those in desperate need, feel alone because they do not have anyone. That is why the Society is there. We offer hope, compassion, and TLC.
This year, more than ever, your generosity will provide assistance to keep families from being out in the harsh winter elements, food and holiday meals through food pantry offerings, migrants with clothing and shelter, and disaster relief to families who have lost everything. Together, we can share in changing a life and making a better world for those that are most in need. Please visit us at www.svdpchicago.org and view the many uplifting success stories of those that needed the most help - all possible because of your support. In addition, all donations to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Chicago are tax deductible.
Donations can be made direct through our Network For Good page at:
https://stvincentdepaulchicago.networkforgood.com/projects/210764-annual-holiday-appeal-2023
If it's more convenient, you can make a donation by mailing your check made payable to:
Society of St. Vincent de Paul Chicago
12731 S Wood Street
Blue Island, IL 60406
Attention: Harry Ohde
In the memo section of the check, please note "Annual Appeal"
I thank you in advance for your continued support. I humbly ask you to donate what you can and make it possible for us to be the “shelter in the storm” for those in need.
God Bless,
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Advent Begins with a Nativity Scene at Marist High School
Earlier this month, Jax Valenti, a Senior at Marist High School in Chicago and son of Danielle Valenti, SVdP Chicago Central Office Staff, helped advocate with encouragement from his math teacher, Mr. Owen Glennon, to have a Nativity Scene displayed at the school. Mr. Glennon has been employed at Marist for over 40 years and felt it was important for the school to display the Holy Family.
Jax was more than excited to be a part of this project and had reached out to staff and faculty to see if Marist had a Nativity scene or not. If not, Jax knew his family would be more than willing to assist with this project. After confirmation was received by the Marist faculty that a Nativity Scene or Holy Family was not available at the school, Jax got to work right away.
Jax asked his dad, John, for a hand and they built the shelter, ordered a plaque, and set up this beautiful display with the Holy Family being donated by a special Vincentian from the Chicago Council. A plaque was prominently displayed next to the Nativity scene in honor of Mr. Owen Glennon.
The Valenti family also participates in the SVdP Scare, Care, Share Winter Clothing Drive on Halloween and the SVdP Annual Toy Drive which is currently going on at 6108 Washington Street in Chicago Ridge. The Valenti's invite you to stop on by to see their beautifully decorated home and drop off a toy as well for our Friends in Need!
Thank you Jax and the Valenti family for all that you do.
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Society of St. Vincent de Paul Chicago Annual Mass - March 10, 2024
You are cordially invited to attend the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Chicago Annual Mass at 3:00pm on Sunday, March 10, 2024, at St. Daniel the Prophet, 5300 S. Natoma, Chicago.
After mass, awards will be presented and a reception immediately following.
We look forward to seeing you there.
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Please join us for our first Ozanam Orientation Training Webinar of 2024.
This virtual webinar is a two-part training and is scheduled for January 6 & 20, 2024, both beginning at 9:00 am and ending about noon. You are required to attend both parts. You may attend one part now and pick up the rest at a later date.
New members are encouraged to attend to learn who we are, what we are about and how you can help to transform our culture.
Existing members are also welcomed to reacquainted with how you can help to transportation our culture.
Please register by contacting Mike Syslo via email at [email protected] or by calling direct at (602) 625-1078.
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Register Today for our Home Visit Webinar - February 17, 2024
All member are encouraged to attend this Home Visit Webinar on February 17, 2024, to learn how to use Vincentian skills to make a successful Home Visit and to serve our neighbors in need in a profoundly and Vincentian Christian way.
Please register by contacting Mike Syslo via email at [email protected] or by calling direct at (602) 625-1078.
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Register Today for our In-Person Day of Reflection - May 11, 2024
Register today for our In-Person Day of Reflection "SVdP Prayer Life and The Holy Spirit" on Saturday, May 11, 2024, with mass beginning at 8:30 am.
This event will be held at St. Daniel the Prophet, 5300 S. Natoma, Chicago, IL. It is about 1 mile from I-55 and Harlem and easy to get to. Refreshments and lunch will be provided to those who attend at no cost to you.
If you wish to register, please contact Mike Syslo via email at [email protected] or by calling direct at (602) 625-1078.
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Have you visited our ebay store lately? We have many new, used, vintage, and collectible items. The holiday season is knocking at our doors and many items to decorate your home or give as gifts to that special someone will begin being listed starting in September. Make sure you are following our ebay store so you don't miss out! New items are being added weekly.
All proceeds from our ebay sales go to our Friends in Need.
Click on the link to "window shop" our ebay store today! Thank you for your support!
https://www.ebay.com/str/stvincentdepaulchicago
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How Can You Help?
There are a number of ways that you can support SVdP Chicago this month!
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We are always updating and adding to our 2023 Donation Drive Schedule.
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Vehicle Donation Program
We'll Love Your Car as Much as You Did!
If you and your vehicle haven’t been seeing eye to headlight for a long time, now is a great time to donate it to [the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Chicago-ADC. You’ll transform your once stressful headache into new hope for those we serve and support. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Chicago-ADC accepts all types of vehicles—cars, trucks, boats, RVs, and more! The pick-up is free, and we provide the necessary paperwork for your tax-deductible donation.
The following is a list of basic requirements for donating a vehicle.
- Vehicle has a clear title
- Vehicle is in one piece and towable but does not need to be running
- Vehicle is tow truck accessible.
Donating is easy—and bypasses the hassles and costs of selling, repairing and insuring altogether. Contact our Office Manager Elvia at [email protected] with any questions or call 773-779-6700 x 107 to start your donation today! Please have the title in hand to make the process even easier when our expert Donor Representatives contact you to complete the donation and schedule your pick-up.
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Let's Get Social
One of the easiest ways to be involved with SVdP Chicago is liking us on Facebook (or Twitter, Youtube, or Instagram) and sharing our posts! We have accounts for each of the Thrift Stores also that you can follow, like, and share from.
This simple action has a big impact in helping to make others aware of the work we are doing to help those in need and how they can get involved!
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Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to the mission of The Society of St. Vincent de Paul! We are working together to build a better tomorrow for those in need. “Let us love God, but let it be with the work of our hands and the sweat of our brows.” - St. Vincent de Paul
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SVdP Chicago has been reaching out in our local communities throughout Cook and Lake counties for over 169 years. We have the experience of being a force of good throughout times of war, global pandemics, economic crises, and social changes. Our volunteers serve with hearts full of love and compassion and the Society helps anyone regardless of race, religion, political association, or gender. Learn more about what we do and who we help at our website.
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