A lot of people react with either pity or avoidance when they meet a poor person asking for help.
But for members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, giving assistance to a needy person is a way to grow spiritually.So writes BOB REEVES/Lincoln Journal Star
Saturday, Jun 17, 2006
“We’re called to see the face of Christ in the poor and have that reflected back to us,” said Joe Flannigan, national president of the society.
He was in Lincoln last weekend for a regional meeting of society members from Nebraska and six other states.
They represented a Roman Catholic charity that has chapters in every U.S. state. More than 116,000 members nationwide volunteer their time and resources to help people meet basic needs for food, clothing, housing, jobs and other necessities.
“Our goal is not to convert people” to Catholicism or Christianity, Flannigan said, but to help people of all races, ethnicities and religious backgrounds.
Most St. Vincent de Paul societies, like the one in Lincoln, have a thrift store that sells used clothing, household items and furniture at extremely low prices, but also gives those things away to people in crisis.
During 2005, the local society served 8,660 individuals and reported giving more than $127,000 in aid and assistance. That money came from local parishes in the Diocese of Lincoln, plus other corporate and individual donors.
The society has about 200 members from 10 Lincoln parishes, plus churches in Seward, Falls City and Harvard, who conduct home visits to get to know poor families, understand their needs and help them get the assistance and skills to become self-sufficient, said Paul Edwards, a local society member.
“We go into a home and see the entire situation of a family,” Flannigan said. “Based on that, we can address various problems. We can help them work out a budget, provide food, clothing and furniture if needed, help them find jobs, get their high school diploma or gain job skills. Whatever the need, we’re ready to help.”
The society also sponsors programs offering housing for women, health care and prison ministries in some parts of the country.
The society advocates through position statements on issues affecting the poor. In the recent debate on immigration reform, society spokespeople have voiced support for a comprehensive approach that protects American borders while also treating immigrants fairly and providing a path toward citizenship, Flannigan said.
“We see a lot of exploitation (of immigrants) because they have no one to turn to,” he said.
Another major issue that has received attention from the society is the need for affordable housing, especially in places such as Los Angeles where housing prices have mushroomed in recent years, he said.
St. Vincent de Paul volunteers provided assistance to victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and continue to help families displaced by the storms, he said.
The society has more than 900,000 members in 140 countries and has provided aid to victims of earthquakes, floods and other disasters such as the 2004 south Asian tsunami. In Cambodia, the society has a special ministry, bathing children to reduce the spread of disease. The society has been working in eastern Europe and recently began a chapter in Vladivostok, Russia.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was founded in 1833 by Frederic Ozanam, a French college student who was challenged by the fact that priests and nuns took vows to serve the poor but most lay Catholics did not. He named the new organization after St. Vincent de Paul, a 17th-century priest known as “The Apostle of Charity to the Poor.”
Unlike many non-religious charitable groups, the society focuses on “a combination of spiritual growth, service to the poor and friendship — the balancing of the three of those is important,” said Roger Playwin, national executive director of the society, based in St. Louis, Mo.
Playwin worked for private, government and non-profit social service agencies before joining the society eight years ago.
Last weekend’s regional meeting focused on working with government and other agencies on disaster relief, health care and other issues. But a primary emphasis was on what Catholics call “spiritual formation,” Flannigan said. “We want to help members stay rooted and committed to our mission and our values.”
Seeing Christ’s face in the poor means “not looking down on them but seeing them as people to build a relationship with, understanding their stories and seeing how we can alleviate their suffering while also working for justice,” he said.
Flannigan, who lives in East Brunswick, N.J., volunteers with his local St. Vincent de Paul Society in making home visits.
Locally, the society’s truck with the message “We help people” picks up furniture and other donations and delivers them to families in need. Anyone seeking help can call HELPYOU (435-7968) and be referred to a number where they can leave a message.
“A person may call and say, ‘My name’s Lois and I can’t pay my rent,’ or ‘My husband lost his job and we have no food,’ or ‘I just got out of jail and don’t have any furniture,’” Edwards said. “We get a volume of calls. What we try to do is turn around and meet them face to face. … We know that in serving them we’re serving Jesus Christ.”
“For every piece of clothing we sell we probably give away 50,” said Ken Knaus, volunteer manager of the local thrift store. “When people are at the end of their rope, the last knot is St. Vincent de Paul.”
For more information or to donate or help, visit the store at 1911 R St. or call 438-3135.
Reach Bob Reeves at breeves@journalstar.com or 473-7212.
