Society of St. Vincent de Paul shares Our Faith in Action in EWTN Special
Society of St. Vincent de Paul shares Our Faith in Action in EWTN Special
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Society of St. Vincent de Paul shares Our Faith in Action in EWTN Special
St. Louis, MO – The Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s work to serve neighbors in need will be featured on a special airing this August on EWTN Global Catholic Network. Titled “Our Faith in Action: Today’s Society of St. Vincent de Paul,” the special tells the stories of Vincentian volunteers in three cities as they serve neighbors in need whose lives were severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our Faith in Action” will share how Vincentian volunteers continued their work as modern-day Good Samaritans in spite of the obstacles of the pandemic. While many nonprofit organizations closed or limited their services in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s 100,000 volunteers quickly pivoted their traditional service models, allowing them to safely support neighbors in need.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul offers a variety of programs and services, including Home Visits, housing assistance, disaster relief, education and mentoring, food pantries, dining halls, clothing, assistance with transportation, prescription medication, and rent and utility costs. The Society also works to provide care for the sick, the incarcerated, and the elderly.
“Our 30 televised minutes will tell stories from three Councils of how they adapted to parish, pantry and store closures, quarantines, no in-person Conference meetings and other sudden disruptions to traditional Society services and relationships,” said National SVdP CEO Dave Barringer.
Volunteers in Tampa, Florida, Houston, Texas, and Albuquerque, New Mexico innovated their services, but never changed the Society’s unique person-to-person ministry. Food distribution and rent assistance became particularly big priorities for the Society’s work during the pandemic, but traditional methods of care would no longer work. Drive-through food pantries became a way to safely distribute food. Our signature Home Visits pivoted to phone calls with neighbors in need, allowing volunteers to remain connected with those they serve while also protecting them from the spread of disease.
“Our Faith in Action: Today’s Society of St. Vincent de Paul” will air on EWTN cable channels on Friday, August 6 at 5:30 p.m. Eastern. Click here to find the EWTN channel in your zip code.
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Since its founding in Paris in 1833, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has grown to 800,000 members in over 150 countries with 1,500,000 volunteers. Vincentians understand that service to a neighbor in need is an encounter with our Lord Jesus Christ, and are aware that poverty, suffering, and loneliness are present for millions in our communities. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s work is unique in that Vincentians offer tangible assistance to those in need on a person-to-person basis. This aid may take the form of intervention, consultation, or through direct financial or in-kind service.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT
Jill Pioter
National Council of the United States, Society of St. Vincent de Paul
66 Progress Parkway, St. Louis, MO 63043
phone (314) 576-3993, ext. 204
jpioter@svdpusa.org
1 Comment
Another “uniqueness” of the Society is that they unite person-to-person tangible service with consistent communal prayer and reflection, and regional and national advocacy and action for systemic change. It’s a faith-filled, comprehensive approach: https://www.svdpgeorgia.org/blog/i-am-a-voice-for-the-poor-and-so-are-you/ Fantastic!