Run your race NOW! And ask your friends to run, too!
On your mark,get set, GO: SWEAT FREE ROAD RACE

On your marks…get set…sit back and enjoy the air conditioning and a cold drink! Who wants to be out running in the Georgia summer heat and humidity when you can do something really important and not break a sweat?

Sign up and join us in the 1st Annual SVdP Atlanta “Sweat Free Road Race”. You can ‘run’ the 5K, the 10K, or even a Marathon; and the best part is you won’t have to change into your running clothes to do it or take a shower when you’re done. You can ‘run’ the race from your living room, your den, the back porch, or even the pool! And you’ll even get an official race t-shirt to show off to your friends.

And when you run THIS race you not only won’t have to sweat, you’ll be doing a whole lot of good for a whole lot of people, because your donation will go to support the programs and services of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Georgia, programs and services that help our neighbors right here in our state who are in need. And by donating to St. Vincent de Paul Atlanta, you are supporting an organization that has been helping people here in Georgia since 1903, an organization where greater than 90% of funds received go directly to programs and services to help those in need.

Run your race NOW! And ask your friends to run, too!On your mark,get set, GO: SWEAT FREE ROAD RACE

Your donation will go directly to SVdP programs that help people and change lives.

• Family Support Centers–clients go through a screening process for numerous other benefits for which they may qualify
• Food Pantries-distribute food throughout North and Middle Georgia
• Sweet Dreams Bed Program-provides beds to clients who are sleeping on the floor
• The Pharmacy Program-give assistance with lower cost prescription medication which saves clients money
• Housing/Rent-assists to keep people in the home they are familiar with
• Utilities- provides lights, water, and heating or cooling
• Counseling/Legal fees- especially needed for clients fleeing difficult living situations
• Education opportunities-our learning center courses in include GED Prep, English Literacy and English as a Second Language (ESOL), computer classes, including Intro to Computers (English and Spanish) and Advanced Word, Excel and Using the Internet. We offer a resume writing class and are launching a “How to Job Search Effectively” in the fall 2010. Along with nutrition classes offered in conjunction with UGA’s Extension program, we host a summer nutrition camp for children.

Run your race NOW! And ask your friends to run, too!On your mark,get set, GO: SWEAT FREE ROAD RACE

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Atlanta has received a $25,000 grant from The Catholic Foundation of North Georgia. The grant was the largest awarded by the Catholic Foundation in this grant cycle and  will help to fund a new food distribution program St. Vincent de Paul is launching in collaboration with the Kroger Co.  

In early spring, Kroger approached SVdP about accepting large monthly donations of meat and other perishable foods.  St. Vincent de Paul Atlanta gratefully entered into this new partnership in order to be able to expand the selection and nutritional balance of the food its food pantries offer to the thousands of people it serves each year.  This project will require that SVdP acquire commercial grade freezers for its central office Family Support Center in Chamblee, Georgia, as well as, acquiring freezers for each of the SVdP local food pantries participating in the program.  Additionally the volume of food and the logistics of getting it to the local food pantries require that SVdP obtain a second refrigerated truck to assist with distributing the food to the outlying areas. SVdP has budgeted $150,000 for startup of this new program and the Catholic Foundation is the first foundation to provide funding for the program.   

 “When Kroger first approached us with this opportunity, we knew being able to provide good quality protein and other fresh foods would make a huge difference in the health of our clients, especially the children,” said John Berry, Executive Director and CEO of SVdP Atlanta. “We are grateful to the Catholic Foundation for giving our campaign the initial funding to launch the program and allow us to begin the pilot phase.  We are confident the other grants we are seeking will come through and allow us to fully implement the program this fall.” Berry added. 

“We are pleased to help St. Vincent de Paul with this project. During these difficult economic times, helping to get nutritious food to those people in need is imperative. I wish we could do more as the project is an important one,” said Nancy Coveny, executive director of the Catholic Foundation of North Georgia, Inc. 

Thanks to the Catholic Foundation of North Georgia, SVdP is on its way to funding the fresh food program. SVdP has applied for other grants for the remaining amount needed. 

About the Catholic Foundation of North Georgia
The mission of The Catholic Foundation of North Georgia is to support the ministries of the Catholic community through the effective long-term financial management of endowment funds and the encouragement of stewardship. 

About the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Atlanta
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Atlanta provides financial, material, educational and spiritual support to those in need regardless of background or faith and collaborates with other organizations to empower people to achieve self-sufficiency. SVdP is part of an international organization and has operated in North Georgia since 1903.

To help with this project call: Development at 678-892-6171 or email to Giving@svdpatl.org

Or, click Donate Now

St. Vincent de Paul accepts donations of cars, trucks, boats…anything that moves. Our best resource to solicit donations is our Conferences in the local parishes. When a car is donated at a conference, the paperwork is handled by the SVdP Transportation Program Manager at the Conference Support Center. She will assist in the process of matching the car to a client or in selling the car so that funds can be used for programs. 

The procedures and forms are available at http://www.svdpatl.org/what-we-do/transportation-assistance-programs/, call 678-892-6168, or e-mail: cars@svdpatl.org 

It’s just a car; it’s transportation; it’s TRANSFORMATION!

The First Hole at Achasta Golf Course

We dodged the rain; it turned into a glorious day. The 3rd Annual SVdP Tee Off for Hope golf tournament was a total success! We raised somewhere between $25 and $30K to support programs.

Thank you for all the prayers for good weather. And, thank you to everyone who made the SVdP Golf Tournament, Tee Off for Hope, such a great success!

Get your clubs ready and line up your foursome! The 3rd Annual St. Vincent de Paul Tee Off for Hope Golf Tournament will be held on Monday, May 17, 2010 at the Achasta Golf Course in beautiful Dahlonega, Georgia. The 6,995-yard, par-72 Achasta Golf Course is a Jack Nicklaus Signature Design. Though surrounded by dramatic tree-lined ridges, Nicklaus seamlessly integrated his award-winning creation into the Chestatee River Valley, making it relatively flat and thus ideal for walking.

Please Register at Achasta on May 17.
Registration opens at 9 a.m. and the shotgun start
is at 10 a.m.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Sponsor Brochure

All proceeds from this event go to support the work of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in North and Middle Georgia.

 His pro-bono attorney said he needed to provide a concrete plan to the court to increase the likelihood the judge would allow him a chance to start over. That plan, among other things, entailed finding employment and a vehicle to get to the place of employment. Jerry needed transportation to complete his transformation.

 A car for this promising young man could make the difference between him possibly being sent to prison for a number of years and the judge allowing him probation. This young man sincerely wanted to turn his life around.  Finding employment will help tremendously, but finding employment with a criminal record AND without a car is very difficult.

Connecting this young man with a local St. Vincent de Paul Conference, he learned the criteria necessary to obtain a car. He would need obtain insurance and have a valid driver’s license.  He needs to recognize and understand the costs of gas, maintenance, registration and insurance.  He must have no DUI in 5 years and no other moving violation in the past year, and no outstanding tickets of any kind.  

After filling out the necessary paperwork, Jerry was delighted when he was handed the keys to his 1990 Cadillac.  He’s living with his brother, has found a job and is getting back on his feet. A single dad, Jerry now can spend time with his child on the weekends. We recently received an e-mail from the SVdP Conference that assisted Jerry. They tell us the car is on the road and Jerry is driving toward success and transformation.

Serving Latte of Love, Hope and Community

Starbucks is a favorite, if not a daily, stop for my sister, Peg, and I.  Knowing this, Sandra called St. Vincent de Paul on Thursday, September 24, to take a case:  A woman was found living in her car in the parking lot outside a local Starbucks. I mention the date because what followed has been a whirlwind of love, charity, and community action.

This Starbucks is always busy with a variety of customers from every ethnic and religious background; all ages.  Mothers with infants, tables of people playing cards, and others just gathering to discuss and solve world problems.  Some of the “regulars” know everyone and others just wave at familiar faces as they leave with their purchases.   Some employees even know our “drink preferences”.   This is the Community that reached out to help this woman.

By the time we met with our client at Starbucks on Friday, her story was known throughout the store.  One customer had already provided Thursday and Friday nights’ lodging for her.  Others had offered money.  Peg and I had our “private home visit” at a table outside the store.  Our client turned out to be a homeless woman who had been living in her car for 5 weeks and hadn’t eaten in 5 days.  Her story was not unlike others we have heard:  divorce, illness, accidents, etc. leading to loss of employment, eviction, nowhere to turn, and too ashamed to ask for help.  Unlike other cases, she was raised, educated and, until recently, lived in Dunwoody.  “Regulars” knew her when she would stop on her way to work to get drinks for the hospice patient she was taking care of. Others knew her from the Jewish Community.  She was one of us and the Dunwoody Starbucks’ Community went into action to help her.

A “core group” of people took charge.  Immediately, everyone was on their cell phone or BlackBerry finding resources to help her.  Within a couple of hours a plan took shape.  All Saints SVdP provided lodging in an extended stay hotel for one week and gave her Kroger cards.  The Jewish Community began organizing food and finding doctors willing to evaluate her health.  Other Starbucks customers began collecting laundry supplies, quarters and other staples she would need and All Saints SVdP took them to her.

By Friday, Oct 2, she had been seen by a doctor with a scheduled follow-up appointment.  This doctor arranged for her to be seen by a pulmonary specialist….both pro-bono.  She was given samples of medicine.  She is looking better and eating well. She’s been to the Jewish Family & Career Services to see what services were available to her and was given food from their pantry.  Maureen, from All Saints SVdP, gave us clothes to give her. Her health is improving, her spirits hopeful and she’s feeling better about herself.  Emails and meetings at Starbucks have kept everyone updated on her progress. This is Community action at its best!

We have not and will not solve all her problems.  That is not our goal.  We just wanted to give immediate and short term help.  We also wanted to direct her to resources that will lead to a future of self-sufficiency.  This experience has shown me, once again, what God expects from each of us:  To Help One Another.  This is what life is all about. 

To the wonderful Dunwoody Starbucks Community…..thanks for including us.   I lift my tall Pumpkin Spice Latte to ALL of you!

While looking for jobs and better opportunities for my family and myself, I found St. Vincent de Paul Society where I am now volunteering. My past experience with Language and Culture facilitation, Program coordination, ESL teaching, French/English interpreting/translations and other experience were all conducive to my volunteering at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Conference Support Center.

I came from Burkina Faso, West Africa, where I grew-up in a St. Vincent de Paul Parish; my 9-year-old son is name Vincent de Paul. I have also found the best in many human beings on the road to becoming useful and helpful to others. Indeed the rule of the Vincentians is to make personal contact with those who suffer and direct services of the marginalized, their basic work. The final objective of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is to grow together, spiritually, morally and humanly. Every time I step into the Society of St Vincent de Paul’s premises in Atlanta (Chamblee Tucker Road), I pray the Lord to continue making this place a solid rock for all those coming from hard places, I pray to the Lord to allow his glory to be revealed in every person I meet, every activity I’m going through, data entry, setting up donated appliances, folding envelopes… and I pray to my Lord to make me new again, to give me the means to be more helpful to people.

My job search has been challenging. It’s difficult to go through a lot of applications and sometimes to be told that you’re not the best match for the position, when you know deep in your heart that you have potential to be taken into account.

After four months of job seeking, I filed about 80 applications, from which I received about 10 non-matching notifications, 10 in progress notifications, 10 interviews and 50 silent responses. It sounds like an adventure. Actually there is no need to go into a no man’s land, in the middle of nowhere, in a remote jungle to seek adventure. Adventure nowadays is anytime you click on a “apply now” icon without knowing definitely where it will lead you; adventure today is when you cross the threshold of your door (when you have any) without expecting the road to take you to any store you can’t afford because you’re penniless, or bring you to any hospital you can’t visit because you’re dime less.

I do believe we’re in the right place, where the American Dream is still possible, where we can move from square one to the top of the mountain. The right people are those who believe in this dream and who struggle to find opportunities to achieve their dream. The right people at the right place, is it not a perfect match? I also believe that when God hears the cries of a captive, he assigns a deliverer.

God Bless You!

Jean

Each year at Evening for Hope, we honor a few of our dedicated Jubilarians. This year we honored Joe Grno, Annie Marie Johnson and Bob Spaeth.

 Joe Grno
Joe Grno and his wife, Mary, are founding members of the Immaculate Heart of Mary parish which began in 1959. In the following years, a local conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul was formed. Joe was not an original member, but he began making home visits as early as 1966. He even took along his eldest son, who was 8 years old at the time. At that time, there were few Catholic
parishes and Conferences, so IHM covered a very large area. Joe also served as one of the first Conference secretaries.

 After his retirement from Western Publishing Company in the late 1980’s, he devoted even more time to the Society by serving as Conference President at IHM from 1990 to 1999. During this time, he also served as the chairman of the Thanksgiving and Christmas program which provided meals and gifts to families in need.
 
When asked what he enjoys about the Society, he says, “The Good Lord said that we need to help the poor andthat the poor will always be with us. After 43 years they still are, but I really enjoy helping people.” The biggest challenge Joe has faced is when he encounters families who are unable to get help from our government or other agencies. In those cases, St. Vincent de Paul is their last and only hope, and that carries a great responsibility.
 
Annie Marie Johnson

Annie Marie Johnson and her husband Mason have been members of St. Paul of the Cross for over 40 years. Annie can be found at almost every event taking her familiar role as “worker bee.” She is a small woman with  an enormous heart and unyielding desire to work for her church and community.
 
She has distributed food and clothing to members of her local community as well as prepared and served food at Atlanta homeless shelters. As a member of the Hunter Hill Community Club, she worked diligently with youth, including sponsoring field trips to educational places such as the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga.
 
When asked about any cases that stand out in her mind, she replies, “There are so many.” But then she spoke of one case when she, uncharacteristically, went out on a case by herself. Her trust in the Lord brought her to a section of town that had a lot of poverty and a good deal of crime. When she told her Conference President about it, he made her promise that she would never go out alone again. She agreed.
She encourages young people to join the Society because there are so many people in need, many more now than when she first started. Young people have so much enthusiasm that they can share with people who are struggling. A smile, a listening ear and a warm handshake can make a big difference in someone’s life.
 
Bob Spaeth

 Bob Spaeth and his wife, Norma, were members of Annunciation Church in Hollywood, Florida. The
pastor of the church, Fr. McCormick, was very supportive of the Society. In fact, the pastor’s father was
president of a SVdP credit union in Ireland. He encouraged everyone to get involved in the parish, especially SVdP. However, he would interview everyone before they could join SVdP. Bob “passed” and
joined the Society in 1962 where he was a member until he moved to Dalton, Georgia in 1984.
At St. Joseph in Dalton, there were only two members in the SVdP Conference. Then one day Bob
mentioned his involvement in SVdP in Florida and their eyes lit up. He immediately became an officer
in the Conference.
 
The best part of SVdP for Bob is meeting a lot of new people, both members and people that he helps. He says that many people don’t understand what SVdP does. He has been asked, “What do you do with all that money you get?” He says that as soon as the money comes in, it goes out to someone who needs it. 
 
“When you go on a home visit,” he said, “it’s a feeling you’ve never had. You feel like you’ve donesomething really good.”

Over 135,000 individuals throughout North and Middle Georgia received assistance from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in 2007. Your generosity allows us to provide services that make a difference in the lives of people in need.

The Society operates very efficiently, with over 94% of all funds directly supporting programs and services. In 2007, we provided over $4.7 million in assistance to the people of North and Middle Georgia.

Learn more about how you can help support the Society:

Gifts can be made online.
Gifts can be made in the form of a cash, check or credit card donation.

If you would like to make a donation of stocks, bonds or securities; or through a planned gift, contact our Director of Development at 770-576-4076 or giving@svdpatl.org.

If you would prefer to mail your donation – Donations by check should be mailed to:
Director of Development
St. Vincent de Paul Society
2050-C Chamblee Tucker Road
Atlanta, GA 30341

We appreciate the difference you make in the lives other Georgians in need.

Dear Friends:

We are pleased to present the Annual Report of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Atlanta for the Fiscal Year 2007/2008. This report covers the period between October 1, 2007 and September 30, 2008. As you will see in the report, the volunteers and staff of the Society provided financial, material, educational, and spiritual support to many thousands of our neighbors in North and Middle Georgia; offering them hope as well as help in these difficult times.

The work of the Society could not — and would not — occur without the tremendous support we receive from our volunteers and our financial supporters. The Vincentians who work in our local Conferences across Georgia visit people in their homes to assess need and provide help; man the food pantries; work in the thrift stores; and perform the multitude of other good works are the core of our Society. Those Vincentians toil tirelessly to make someone else’s life a little better, a little easier, and a little more hopeful.

Those who support us financially can be confident that their financial contributions are well tended. As detailed in the audited financial results presented herein, more than 90% of the funds received go directly back into programs. This is a benchmark for which we are proud and committed to maintain. We thank our benefactors and supporters for giving us the ability to help as many as we do.

The last year has been a difficult one for many and the next year likely will continue to be challenging. With your help, The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Atlanta will continue to provide the financial, material, educational, and spiritual support that is our mission through those difficult times.

In Hope,

Richard P. Kessler
President and Chairman of the Board
and
John A. Berry
Executive Director and CEO

President and Chairman of the Board