Stories
West End Family Support Center is a Ray Light in Atlanta
The weather threatened to be ugly all morning Tuesday, April 27, but just as the Grand Opening Ceremony for the new St. Vincent de Paul West End Family Support Center was scheduled to begin, the sun broke through the clouds as if to say, “And it was good.”
Jim Verrecchia, the Director of Support Programs and Debbie Cook, past St. Anthony Conference president welcomed everyone and shared opening remarks and greetings.
John Berry, the CEO and Executive Director of SVdP Atlanta spoke to the more than 60 guests in attendance about the importance of the new Family Support Center in the efforts of SVdP to expand its services through partnership and collaboration with community agencies and ministries helping the poor.
“The West End Family Support Center is a collaborative effort of the Archdiocesan Council of St. Vincent de Paul Atlanta and three St. Vincent de Paul conferences; St. Anthony, St. Paul of the Cross, and Our Lady of Lourdes. Together these three conferences will serve those in need in this area. If that was all that the FSC was it would be a wonderful and needed center of service to those in need; but it is so much more. Because we and the partners we have joined together with in this endeavor know and understand that a network of charity that expands beyond just internal borders is a network that can accomplish so much more,” said Berry.
John Berry invited Phil Jardina, brother of the late Jimmy Jardina, to say a few words. Mr. Jardina reminisced about how the families business began in the West End area and that he and his brother attended St. Anthony Church years ago. Mr. James “Jimmy” Jardina’s generous bequest to the Immaculate Heart of Mary SVdP Conference in Atlanta, and that conferences commitment of support and help to stock the food pantry at the West End Support Center from that bequest were both critical in the ability of SVdP Atlanta to be able to open the center.
The guests heard next from Bill Bolling, Founder and Executive Director of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Major Jim Seiler, Salvation Army Commander for the metro Atlanta area and Tom Andrews, President, St. Joseph Hospitals’ Mercy Care Services who all spoke about their organizations collaboration with SVdP in providing needed services to the clients at the Support Center and helped to celebrate the opening.
Archbishop of Atlanta, Wilton D. Gregory, then presided over the dedication and blessing of the new center.
The West End Family Support Center is overseen by the SVdP Conference Support Center in Atlanta and will be operated as a collaborative effort of three SVdP Conferences located at St. Anthony, Our Lady of Lourdes, and St. Paul of the Cross. These local SVdP Conferences and other partnering agencies will provide a wide variety of services, making it easier for individuals and families in need to get the most information and service in one place. These services fall into three categories: education, benefits and nutrition.
Visitors, or those referred to the FSC, will be interviewed to assess their situation and determine how the FSC can best respond. The FSC’s goal is to provide long-lasting solutions that will help clients move beyond their current crisis or continuous cycle. A primary focus of the Support Center is to provide food. After the initial interview, clients will be invited to shop in the Client-Choice Food Pantry with a volunteer’s help and obtain food that is determined by a “point system” that uses a formula based on the number of adults and children in the family, spread across the food groups of the USDA Food Pyramid Guidelines.
Food is selected by the clients based on the results of the “point system” calculation. Because the food is organized and color coded according to the USDA Food Pyramid, clients are able to select foods they like from among all the choices in the Food Pyramid Categories. Having some choices in what foods they will take home, respects the individuality of the clients and helps them to retain dignity.
In order to relieve stress on the clients’ monthly budgetary needs, the FSC screens individuals for government or community benefits, determines eligibility, and advances the application more quickly through the process. Once qualified, the new benefits allow free up clients’ money to be used for other budgetary needs. After the dedication and blessing, the three collaborating conferences hosted a luncheon for the participants and guests.
“Through these tough economic times St. Vincent de Paul is committed to establishing new opportunities to move food to people who need it the most,” said Berry. “No one should have to choose between having water, heat and light for their home and putting food on the table.”
The opening was covered by local television news and appeared on the noon newscast. By 1:30 p.m. several potential clients arrived looking for services because they had seen the opening on the news.