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Organizational History
www.ozanet.org |
800-YES-SVDP
(800-937-7837)
Local History
The St. Vincent de Paul Society was established in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1860 and for over 145 years, need has been the only requirement to receive help. The purpose of the Society is to help the neediest members of the community to become as self-sufficient as possible. The Society helps thousands of people every day in our communities, who are suffering from poverty, hunger, homelessness, substance abuse, incarceration, illness and domestic violence.
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St. Vincent de Paul |
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Frederic Ozanam |
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is one of the oldest charitable organizations in the world, founded in 1833 in France by seven students including Frederic Ozanam. The young Frederic, a Catholic, wanted to help the poor during the industrial revolution. He also wanted to improve the lives of his peers by urging them to perform works of charity rather than simply talk about what should be done to help the needy.
Inspired by his love of St. Vincent de Paul, a 17th century French priest who had an untiring commitment to serving the poor, Ozanam's mission was clear - help the needy on a one-to-one basis and "accomplish through charity what justice alone cannot do."
Along with several friends, Frederic visited the poor in their homes, helping them whenever possible by sharing whatever food and other necessities were available for them to give. More importantly, the young men provided food for the spirit through their many acts of kindness and friendship. The Society's work quickly began to spread and arrived in the United States in 1845 with the founding of what is now the Council of the United States in St. Louis, MO.
The world-wide organization is made up of lay Catholic men and women who are committed to live and grow in their Christian faith through prayer and personal involvement in charitable works. It has spread to more than 130 nations, with more than 900,000 members worldwide. |
Vincentians
SVDP’s mission is to help the needy in countless ways, primarily through person-to-person contact of Vincentian volunteers with children, families and the homeless. The volunteers accomplish this mission through parish- and community-based groups called Conferences and through special works projects conducted at the District Council level.
Vincentians, continually strive to promote the dignity of the people they serve while helping alleviate their suffering and distress and working to help correct conditions that cause these problems. Over the years, activities have taken the form of thrift stores, meal programs, shelters, jail ministries, medical assistance programs and helping centers. These programs have been generously supported not only by the Catholic community, but also by other faiths and the broader community. Most programs, although professionally staffed, maintain a largely volunteer component. Professional staff assists volunteers through training and are available for consultation.
Today more than 4,000 active Conferences operate in the United States, with about 107,000 Vincentians. These volunteers continually strive to carry on the work begun when the Blessed Frédéric Ozanam and his friends started the first conference in France more than 175 years ago.
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