Vincent de Paul: God Feeds Us to Feed Others
Are your friends helping you become the best-version-of-yourself?
“Do you have a relationship with the poor?”
We here at OLIH host Family Promise multiple times a year. We collect food monthly for the food pantry. We have groups make and serve meals for Connection Cafe and the Catholic Worker House. We have the St Vincent de Paul truck here on the first and third Saturdays of the month from 10:00-4:00 to collect items that are still in good shape and can be of use to others. I know a parishioner who participates regularly in the Urban Bike Ministry, Thursday nights they go out on their bikes (depending on temperature, if too cold they do drive) to share food and conversation. I know people who work with Joppa to help the homeless community.
There are many wonderful ways we as a parish, and as individuals, take part in serving the poor, but the question is what is your relationship with the poor? How do you think about those who are in need, or asking for help? How do you refer to them? Have you sat and spoke with someone who was homeless? When you buy the groceries for the monthly collection do you buy the cheapest option, or do you buy the brand you would get for yourself? Relationship begins with how we see others, and grows into how we treat them.
Learn more about the St Vincent de Paul mission in the Des Moines/Ankeny area:
Mission:
St Vincent de Paul’s mission is to help those in need become self-sufficient through education, community connectedness, and unconditional support.
ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW:
Since being established in Des Moines in 1924, the main focus of St. Vincent de Paul's (SVdP) work is to assist those living in poverty in becoming self-sufficient by helping to remove roadblocks as we walk with them on their journey out of poverty. The Des Moines Council operates two thrift stores, two social services departments, an education center, and a child watch center. SVdP employs around 30 paid staff and many volunteers.
The approach of St. Vincent de Paul is multifaceted, and intentionally diversified. Our goal is to treat the symptoms that have caused our clients to experience poverty, not just patch the problem. As such, our social services and education center work hand-in-hand to provide access to resources for those in need. These resources may include, but are not limited to:
Workforce Development (Back2Work): The Back2Work program is a Nationally replicated workforce development model that focuses on two weeks of employment preparation and training, a six week internship with an employer, and job placement at an employer, typically in the trades, paid at a livable wage.
Prisoner re-entry (IMMERSION): The IMMERSION program is a Nationally replicated reentry program that was developed in Des Moines, IA. Through partnerships with Bridges of Iowa, the Polk County Jail, and three State correctional facilities, we teach courses in the jails and prisons on healthy relationships at home and work, financial literacy, provide mentors, and can utilize our other resources to meet peoples’ basic needs to successfully transition from jail or prison to society.
Social Services (two locations)-clients may be eligible to receive financial assistance with rent, utilities, hygiene products, infant needs, food, clothing, and furniture. Through the implementation of Food Pantry 2.0, guests in the food pantries are incentivized to choose healthy food items through the utilization of a points system. Healthy food consumes fewer of an individual’s monthly point allotment, which they are allowed to use at their discretion. Weekly recipes are provided to these families as well.
Adult Basic Education-With access to a state of the art classroom that includes 14 computers and a high-tech Smart Board, the Education Center offers: high school equivalency diploma (HiSET) preparation classes, assistance with job and apartment searches, financial literacy classes and coaching, tutoring in reading and math, the National Career Readiness Certificate assessment (NCRC), open lab time each week, access to a mentor, and access our Child Watch Center while attending class.
Thrift Stores-open to the public, individuals from all walks of life come into our store and purchase secondhand items at low cost such as furniture, clothing for men, women, and young adults, shoes, appliances, beds and much more.
We collaborate and partner with many like-minded community service organizations with visions similar to ours: End Poverty Through Systemic Change. It is also important to know that St. Vincent de Paul serves anyone who walks through its doors, without any requirements to be eligible for services.
You can visit us at www.svdpdsm.org
Steve Havemann, Executive Director