Faith in Action Fall 2016

Transcription

1 Going to Those in Need Since Faith in Action Fall 2016 Recovery Can Be a Long Process XXXXXSVDP_Fall_NwsLtr_ indd 1 11/9/16 12:02 PM

2 Spirit We re back on the Island! For those familiar with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, it is common knowledge that the Society s presence on American soil was marked by the formation of the first Conference in St. Louis, Missouri in However, few are aware that a Conference existed beforehand in Texas between the time of 1836 and 1845 although Texas was not yet a part of the United States. During the Mexican War some American soldiers were taken prisoner by the Mexican forces. Those prisoners were attended to by the local (Mexican) St. Vincent de Paul Conference. But after the war, the Conference passed out of existence and soon became forgotten. A little more than a quarter of a century later in 1871, a new seed of Vincentians took root in the Lone Star State, the site of renewal being St. Mary s Cathedral parish in Galveston. Galveston was the primary port and the largest city in the Southwest at this time. This Conference existed for many years but was unfortunately forced to close shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005 due to a great increase in physical repair needs coupled with our aging yet dedicated Vincentians. It has taken the Island many years to recover from the devastation that hit. Most of the Catholic churches in Galveston were closed for repairs after Ike resulting in the Archdiocese making the decision to combine all 6 under the name Holy Family Parish in After weeks of formation, we are ecstatic to announce that we are back on the island! XXXXXSVDP_Fall_NwsLtr_ indd 2

3 Spirit The installation was held on Sunday, July 10, 2016 with a ceremony presenting the new Vincentians to the rest of their Parish as the church s ministry. Holy Family at St. Mary s Basilica is one of our youngest Conferences with many of its members currently enrolled at The University of Texas Medical Branch. Since their installation the Vincentians have been incredibly active in the community. Most recently, they organized a backpack drive at the parish (which actually consists of 6 churches!) where they collected and filled 200 backpacks to ensure children coming from low-income homes would be well prepared on their first days of school. They have been keeping themselves incredibly busy on the Island and have picked up 9 new members along the way. God demands first the heart... then the work. St. Vincent de Paul We are so blessed that our Brothers and Sisters are responding to the Christian calling to seek and find the forgotten, the suffering or the deprived so that we may bring them God s love. Are you feeling called to become a Vincentian volunteer and curious if there s a Conference near you? Visit our list of Conferences at: svdphouston.org/conference-listing XXXXXSVDP_Fall_NwsLtr_ indd 3

4 Thank You Strake Jesuit Crawfish Boil Over the summer, the Strake Jesuit Alumni hosted their Annual Crawfish Boil at West Alabama Ice House with all proceeds generously given to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Friends, families, and Ice House Patrons all came together by donating hygiene products for those who had lost all possessions in the floods earlier this year. With a financial or in-kind donation attendees were entitled to unlimited crawfish and gumbo! Despite the rain, we had a great turnout and it surely didn t stop the fun! Thank you Strake Jesuit Alumni! 114th St. Joseph s Altar The St. Joseph Altar originated in Sicily and was brought to the United States by immigrants in the late 1800 s. During a period of drought and famine, people turned to St. Joseph asking for his help and intercession. Soon the rains came, crops prospered, and prayers were answered. The St. Joseph s Altar was born out of gratitude and thanksgiving. The finest cloth, flowers, grains, fruits, vegetables, and breads are selected to be placed upon the Holy altar usually overflowing onto side tables. The tradition has stood the test of time for the Charity Guild of Saint Joseph here in Houston. This March marked the Guild s 114th Annual St. Joseph Altar! Year after year the Charity Guild of Saint Joseph works tirelessly baking cookies to sell at the event and generously donates all proceeds to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. We are truly blessed by this continued friendship that spans so many years! XXXXXSVDP_Fall_NwsLtr_ indd 4

5 Wishing Miss Pat a happy retirement Miss Pat joined the Society of St. Vincent de Paul staff in 2005 and has held many roles with the Society as it has grown into what it is today. When we had the SVDP Village (temporary housing) Miss Pat played an integral part in supervising the after school program. If you scheduled a pick-up or drop-off with the Society you most likely were greeted by our sweet and loving Donation Coordinator, Miss Pat. She was always willing to go out of her way to help others and jump in when needed - we re sad to see her go! Miss Pat is looking forward to spending her newly found free time with her grandchildren. Thank you, Miss Pat for all your hard work and dedication over the past 11 years! We give and seemingly empty ourselves - and then what happens? The poor enrich us. - Cardinal DiNardo BIG BLUE BIN Thanks to all who are donating to our outdoor bins and to the Pastors at the Parish sites. Each of our 15 bins has the capacity to hold approximately 655 pounds of clothing; giving us the potential to help more people with clothing than ever before both on our voucher program and in our two resale stores. Want to host a bin? Call Cathy at XXXXXSVDP_Fall_NwsLtr_ indd 5

6 Volunteer Cameron Condara s Eagle Scout Project Cameron Condara, a senior at St. Thomas High School, constructed three raised vegetable beds at the VSC. Cameron has been working on the plans for many months for his Eagle Scout project and has been a Scout since the 5th grade. I m familiar with St. Vincent de Paul because my family has helped with the annual golf tournament, I love the mission, and hope the vegetable garden will help provide a good source of fresh produce to people in need. Cameron said. He assembled a group and they arrived at the VSC ready to work. The gardens were Cameron s idea for providing fresh produce to the people we serve out of our John L. Food Depot. The beds are expertly constructed and equipped with irrigation capability. We look forward to seeing the fruits of Cameron s labor and the many people who will benefit from his donation of time and materials. Thanks Cameron!!! Come One, Come All - Come As You Are! XXXXXSVDP_Fall_NwsLtr_ indd 6

7 Natural Disaster/ Flooding Hits Houston Area Impact It s a long road to recovery. Just because we don t see the rising water many think our lives are back to normal. Not so. Those affected by the flooding of 2016 in the Greeenspoint and Fort Bend areas are still working on repairs and look forward to returning home again. Many are in disbelief that homes are still being repaired from the spring floods. Few are back in permanent homes. Thankfully the Society has generous donors that allow us to go out and help turn houses into homes via the SVDP House in a Box program. The program is at no cost to the SVDP Conference or the friend in need. We ll take care of the furniture so that the family can focus on other needs that still need to be addressed. Two of our community partners, the Knights of Columbus and Catholic Charities, help identify the families in need.once we learn of a need, SVDP Vincentian volunteers schedule a home visit and do an initial assessment to determine if House in a Box is ready for delivery. Thank you to the following Conferences for making the Home Visits: St. Martin de Porres St. Rose of Lima St. Thomas More Guardian Angel St. John Fisher St. Anne Tomball St. Leo the Great St. Mary Laporte St. Jerome Holy Rosary St. Ambrose St. Michael Needville Mario s family was renting a home in Rosenberg when the flood happened of May He and his wife decided to use the FEMA funds to secure a more permanent home. They were able to purchase a mobile home and place it on a lot, and since then they have been making repairs to the septic system and making it ready for their family. They are now ready to move in. SVDP has provided the family with a House in a Box unit, they now have a furnished home for their family. The units came with all brand new items: 4 beds, 5 dressers, linens for each bed, sofa, dining table and 6 chairs, kitchen utensils, glassware and pots and pans. Little Elizabeth was so excited to get a big girl bed- she had not had her own bed before. Go to svdphouston.org to learn how you can change a life XXXXXSVDP_Fall_NwsLtr_ indd 7

8 2403 Holcombe Boulevard Houston, TX Your generosity will help provide a. Happy Thanksgiving To our friends in need! We are called to show mercy... generously you have come forth. You made our annual Black Bag Collection a success! THANK YOU! Because of you our friends in need can find hope. svdphouston.org Donate Shop Join Volunteer NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT 542 HOUSTON, TX XXXXXSVDP_Fall_NwsLtr_ indd 8