Be part of SVdP history!
Celebrate our 175th Anniversary at the 2020 Spring Assembly.
Register now! Seats are filling up quickly!
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Bring your SVdP name tag so your fellow Vincentians can get to know you
(if you don't have one or forget, we will provide other name tags)
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Bed Program Questions and Answers
Recent changes to the Bed Program have brought many questions. Here are the most common:
Q:
Do I have to get approval from the Council Office before giving a Bed Voucher to a Neighbor in Need?
A:
No! Please give the voucher to your Neighbor at the home visit.
Q:
Do I need to complete the Council Program Form?
A:
Yes! Please complete the form and email it to
[email protected]
. This allows the Council Office to track outstanding bed requests.
Q:
Can I put multiple items on one thrift store voucher?
A:
That depends. You can put more than one bed on a voucher. However, if you want to give the Neighbor a voucher for clothing, furniture or household goods, we ask that you put those on a separate voucher.
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Should the Coronavirus Stop Us From Home Visits?
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From Dave Barringer, CEO, National Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Vincentians have asked this week if the coronavirus is reason to stop conducting our Home Visits. The short answer is:
No, keep going.
This is a changing environment, and this column certainly does not override any direction given by state or federal health officials. For now though, let’s be mindful of the facts.
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SVdP in the News!
First St. Vincent de Paul Society Scholarships Awarded
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Two students have received the inaugural St. Vincent de Paul Scholarships, scholarships made possible through a partnership between Saint Louis University and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul that places donation bins around campus . . .
(read more)
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Vincentian Leadership Workshop Series
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Participants in the first workshop series included:
Jeanette Aubuchon
(North District President)
Bill Blow
(South Central District President)
Ron Brendel
(St.Ferdinand Conf. Pres)
Mike Carosone
(Seven Holy Founders Conf. Pres.)
R.B. Clark
(St Anselm Conf. Pres.)
Michael Cunningham
(Blessed Teresa Calcutta Conf. Pres.)
Dave Kempa
(St Gerard Magella Conf. Pres
.)
Mike McCleish
(Assumption O'Fallon Conf. Pres.)
Thomas McQuiggan
(St Anthony Sullivan Conf. Pres.)
Cathy Weis
(St Ferdinand Conf. Vice-Pres)
Mick Mertens
(Sacred Heart Florissant Conf. Pres.)
Jim Relleke
(St Margaret of Scotland Conf. Pres
.
)
Gary Volk
(Ascension Chesterfield Conf. Pres.).
The new series of workshops are focused on developing a flourishing culture of Servant-Leadership in our conferences and will be offered regularly. They will be open to all Vincentian leaders. Contact Jim Sigillito if you would like to participate in a future workshop series at
[email protected]
or 314-881-6016.
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Welcoming our Newest Conference at St. Paul Parish!
With the support and encouragement of Fr. Gerald Blessing, pastor of St. Paul Parish in St. Paul, MO, and Northwest District President Dan Asahl, over the past several months, several dozen members of St. Paul parish came together to better understand the mission of our Society: to grow in holiness by seeking out and serving those in need. They all concluded that the mission was a perfect fit for the St. Paul parish community and their efforts culminated in the very first meeting of the newly formed St. Paul Conference on the evening of February 25
th
. Karen Mueller was elected to be Conference President.
Beautifully demonstrating the friendship that Vincentians share, a number of District and Conference officers from the Northwest District, as well as Council Office staff members, were present at the meeting to encourage and warmly welcome Karen and the several dozen new Vincentians that now make up the St Paul Conference.
What a great start!
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Thank you to all the volunteers who helped collect donations at Hardee's Rise and Shine for Heat Up St. Louis. Volunteers, including
268 Vincentians
, braced a high of 23 degrees on Friday, February 14 to raise
$675,000
for people without heat in St. Louis. SVdP will receive about
$30,000
for our Neighbors in Need!
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Voice of the Poor Committee
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Archbishop Carlson: Supporting Medicaid Expansion is Consistent with Our Commitment to Life
On January 31, Archbishop Robert J. Carlson reiterated his support of Medicaid Expansion in a letter to all priests and deacons of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. He affirmed that support of Medicaid Expansion is consistent with our Catholic commitment to life, stating in part, "Recently, questions, concerns and speculation have surfaced regarding an argument that the federal pro-life protections in Medicaid—secured through the Hyde Amendment more than 40 years ago—would be terminated, putting government funds at risk for allocation to abortions.
"We acknowledge this concern, however, with abiding trust in our Lord Jesus Christ, we cannot operate out of fear and speculation of the unknown. Our commitment to life is unwavering and lives are at stake. We must make decisions based on what we currently know to be true: With greater access to health insurance through Medicaid, we are saving lives and ensuring better health outcomes for our families in need."
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Interested in joining or learning more about the Voice of the Poor Committee?
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175th Anniversary: Phil Karst Legacy
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All throughout the year of 2020, we'll be incorporating the celebration of our 175th anniversary in our marketing efforts, events, materials and advertisements. We have many fun and exciting developments planned this year, some of which have already begun, like unveiling our new logo and sharing our SVdP history in our newsletters, on our website and through social media.
We have a Vincentian whose SVdP history goes all the way back to 1921
! Phil Karst's great-grandfather (also named Phil Karst) is listed as an "original member" of the Society in this article from 1921! Click the image to find his name on page 6. We are grateful to have such a long legacy as part of our Society!
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Help for Your Conference!
Parish Bulletin Announcement Suggestions
January - March 2020
You can work with your Parish secretary to get regular placements in your weekly bulletin.
Bulletin placements help bring visibility to your SVdP Conference, donations and recruitment of Vincentians.
Remember, these are only suggestions to help you get SVdP visibility in your Parish.
You can write your own or customize these for your specific Conference.
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Protecting God's Children
Some of you may have been contacted by your Parish in certification efforts for Protecting God’s Children Program/Safe Environment. The St. Louis Archdiocese’s Office of Child and Youth Protection mandates all Parish volunteers, including Vincentians, attend workshops on protecting children and young people in the Church and undergo a national background check.
The Archdiocesan Office of Child and Youth Protection is responsible for working with all Parishes to ensure all volunteers meet these requirements. SVdP supports the Archdiocese’ efforts. More information on this program can be found online at
https://bit.ly/3ciZSG8
Any questions on these workshops and your attendance should be directed to your Parish’s Safe Environment coordinator.
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Tidbits from Elizabeth Barbieri
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It’s time to refocus
- what is the most important part of the Society? It is you and your Conference.
Look at yourselves and make sure you’re doing all the things that Blessed Frederic Ozanam would want you to do - encourage new members, give more to the poor, and be kind to each other.
Your conference is a reflection of the Society - are you seeing it?
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Utility Coordinators Needed
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Utility Coordinators are Vincentians who handle utility pledges for Conferences.
These Vincentians streamline our process and improve our responsiveness. We are looking for Vincentians interested in volunteering at the Council Office to help with utility pledges.
If you are interested in helping, please email Timothy Massey at
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ServWare, the database designed to help us serve our Neighbors better, is gaining momentum throughout the Council area.
We already have 30 Conferences using ServWare, and more are lining up for training!
If your Conference is ready to experience the benefits of ServWare – better information, communication, reporting (CAR) and time savings –
you can choose from two 3-hour training sessions (March 21
st
or April 18
th
). We still have room for several more Conferences. Register now!
These training sessions are designed for a Conference’s President, Treasurer and ServWare Administrator (who becomes the Conference ServWare expert).
For additional information on ServWare (including access to a test account) or to sign up for one of our training sessions please contact Tom Matoushek at
[email protected]
or 314-881-6025
.
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The Society of St. Vincent de Paul
St. Louis | [svdpstlouis.org]
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