VITA

In addition to the Client Choice Food Pantry at the Support Centers, the Society supports 33 food pantries throughout the 55 county area of North and Middle Georgia.  These Conference-operated food pantries support the work of the Vincentians as they respond to the local community’s needy and hungry.  Comprised of a variety of sizes and models, the common characteristic of the pantries is their response to feed the hungry.  The food inventory, generously supplied by local church members, young people in schools and local businesses, is constantly being depleted and always in need of donations. 

Conferences without local pantries offer a variety of opportunities to serve those in need.   Several have partnered with local community food pantries creating a larger collaborative effort.   Others supply gift certificates allowing clients to obtain necessary food at local stores.    Whatever the process, the commitment is firm; Vincentians strive to alleviate the suffering of those in need.

If you are interesting in helping feed the hungry through a donation or food drive, email food@svdpatl.org, donate now, or call 678-892-6175.

 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!

I have been in the USA for four months now through the Diversity Program organized by the US Immigration Services. Since then, it has been an enriching experience to get closer to those with which I have been working for about a decade, namely the US Peace Corps Volunteers.

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.”

The First Hole at Achasta Golf Course

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.     

Sponsorship Opportunities

Sponsor Brochure 

Save the date for this amazing event. Registration will open April 1.
All proceeds from this event go to support the work of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in North and Middle Georgia.

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

During the cocktail reception, attendees bid on artwork and sports memorabilia through the Silent Auction and decided which items they wanted a chance to win in the Raffle.

After being chimed into dinner, all were made to feel welcomed by Russ Spencer, Fox 5 anchor, who introduced Mary Ellen and Scott Garret, Evening for Hope 2009 chairpersons. Vince and Barbara Dooley, honorary chairpersons, joined us via video and St. Vincent de Paul’s Executive Director John Berry reviewed the society’s work over the past year and announced the plans for a new Family Support Center in downtown Atlanta. 

 
Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI, reminded us how fortunate and blessed we are, and how our acts of kindness and generosity impact our communities and reflect God’s love to all.

Videos of our honored Jubilarians, Joseph Grno and Bob Spaeth, combined the recognition of their service with personal memories of their work over the years.
Sharon Maddox, Family Support Center Manager, was recognized for her 25 years of service to SVdP.

As a result of the generosity of our sponsors and attendees we raised more than $130,000, which will go directly to support those in need in North and Middle Georgia through  SVdP’s  programs. Thank you for your incredible support of EVENING FOR HOPE 2009