In Miami, Florida, the Ladies of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul are offering a powerful witness of Vincentian service to migrants and families living in poverty. Founded in 2019, this group of about thirty AIC volunteers has grown into a vibrant local expression of charity, collaboration, and practical accompaniment.

Many of the volunteers are first-generation Americans with Hispanic backgrounds. Their own family histories and cultural experience help them understand the challenges faced by people who arrive in the United States from Haiti, Cuba, Central America, and other countries. Their service is rooted not only in generosity, but also in closeness: they know how difficult it can be to begin again in a new country, with a new language, new systems, and uncertain resources.

Through the “Matthew 24” program, the Ladies of Charity Miami respond to urgent and concrete needs. They offer food, help families seek support for rent, and provide clothing for children. Rent is one of the greatest burdens for many of the people they serve, and when a family is facing that difficulty, the volunteers help them identify resources in the community and connect them with agencies that can offer more specialized or long-term assistance.

This work is carried out in close collaboration with other branches of the Vincentian Family, including the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Daughters of Charity, and the Association of the Miraculous Medal. The project shows how much more the Vincentian Family can do when its different branches work together around the real needs of people who are poor.

The Miami volunteers have also developed a systemic change program called “Ready for Life,” focused on young immigrants. This initiative helps teenagers prepare for high school equivalency tests and develop skills that can open doors for their future in the United States. By helping students access computers and online tutoring, the program gives young people practical tools for education, confidence, and integration.

Another initiative, “Minukaridad,” extends the group’s concern for children and education beyond Miami. Through this program, donors in the United States support children in South America by helping provide books and other educational resources. The program also offers formation in the Catholic faith and in the charism of St. Vincent de Paul, encouraging children to discover that charity is not only something they receive, but also something they can live and share with others.

More recently, the Ladies of Charity Miami, together with the Daughters of Charity, have begun the “Listen and Serve” project. This initiative offers migrants the opportunity to speak with Vincentian psychologists who provide guidance, emotional support, and accompaniment. It recognizes that migration is not only an economic or legal experience; it is also deeply human, often marked by fear, loss, uncertainty, and the need to be heard.

Spirituality remains at the heart of the association. Some members who cannot take part directly in the projects support the mission through prayer. The group also receives spiritual accompaniment from a Daughter of Charity, helping the volunteers keep their service rooted in faith, humility, and the Vincentian spirit.

The Ladies of Charity Miami remind us that Vincentian service is most fruitful when it is concrete, collaborative, and attentive to the whole person. Their mission brings together immediate assistance, education, emotional support, spiritual formation, and community networking. In doing so, they help migrant families not only survive difficult moments, but also take steps toward stability, dignity, and hope.

Their witness invites the entire Vincentian Family to ask: Who are the migrants and vulnerable families in our own communities? What do they need in order to begin again? And how can we, together, listen, serve, and walk with them toward a fuller life?

Based on content from https://www.aic-international.org/