FAMVIN: The International Vincentian Family

“The mother of all projects” for a new branch of the Ladies of Charity in Arkansas, USA is to open learning and family center for learning English, computer training, substance abuse help, health screening, a community garden and more. “The Ladies are called to be visionaries,” says the branch’s young organizer. Read the story.

The Great Wall Appeal is a Web-based effort to connect people in rural China with the rest of the world. In the aftermath of the earthquake, the need becomes urgent. The Appeal, in partnership with Catholic Charities, is raising funds for relief of victims. Read about the appeal and read about the quake.

Ministering Together, based in Ohio USA, has launched a new effort to encourage bridge-building among Catholic agencies. The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul is part of a collaborative effort being made in Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida USA. Read the article; go to the Web site of Ministering Together.

A plan designed to encourage use of solar energy is, in effect, a regressive tax, according to the manager of policy and research for the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul in Victoria (Australia). Solar energy is a good idea; having poor households subsidize richer ones is not. Read the article.

President of the US National Council of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul Joe Flanagan says that, because of relatively little red tape, the Society “is in a comparatively positive position” to help Myanmar cyclone victims. Read Mr Flanagan’s letter (.doc); donate online; also, read more about the disaster.

“What we do for each other says something about who we are,” said John Edwards during a gathering to kick off Half in Ten, a new initiative that aims to reduce poverty in the United Stats by 50% within 10 years. Read the rest

CBS News has begun a series about how working people are struggling with hard choices: heat the house or gas the car or buy groceries. In this installment, the reporter’s guide is a volunteer at a the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul food pantry in Greenville, Mississippi USA. Read the story.

The Religious fo St. Vincent have elected Fr. Phiippe Mura, RSV to replace Fr. Yvon Laroche, RSV. Formed in the school of St. Vincent and St. Francis de Sales, influenced by the French School of Spirituality of the seventeenth century, their founder gave his religious a double rule: to conform themselves to Jesus Christ and to show him to the world through their works.

The Office of the Superior General asked that this notice soliciting input on Food Security for group of Catholic-inspired NGO’s and Religious Institutes be placed on the famvin web site. Please note that they request input by May 14.

Read the rest

The Youth and Campus section of today’s Manila Bulletin includes a lengthy feature article about St. Louise de Marillac College of Sorsogon. The college is “a tangible contribution of the Company of the Daughters of Charity to the province of Sorsogon.” Read the article and go to the college Web site.

At Circle V, the summer camp of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul in Los Angeles, they give the “social vaccine” of self esteem to children, to poor children in particular. For the 33rd year a daily newspaper in Southern California has invited its readers to “Send-A-Kid” to camp. Read the story and visit Camp V’s Web page.

The Overnight Parking Program (OPP) of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul in Eugene, Oregon USA has helped homeless families and individuals obtain “safe and legal, temporary overnight parking”. OPP services make it easier for hosts to say “yes” to hosting overnighters. See the Web page or go to famvin archive story.

The reality for those without health insurance is, “You just wait until there’s a crisis that happens and deal with it then.” No dentist until the teeth are rotting, Super Glue instead of stiches, an emergency room visit when pain gets too bad. Utah’s community health centers are offering an alternative. Read the rest

In Oregon, USA an auxiliary of a local food share program has formed. Women Ending Hunger’s purpose is “getting to the root causes of hunger and stopping it at that level.” Their community-based plan looks to have an impact on public policy, economic development, education and more. Read the story.

The Daughters of Charity have opened a Drug Resource Enhancement against Aids and Malnutrition (DREAM) center in Kenya. It offers state of the art services to manage HIV and malnutrition. The Daily Nation’s article features the story of Nduku, a 35 year old mother who has both HIV and cervical cancer. Read the story.