Society of St Vincent Depaul Council of Louisville

With a continuum of care, St. Vincent de Paul Louisville provides shelter and permanent housing for up to 600 individuals including families both on campus and in scattered-site housing.

• Our strength is in Case Management and Housing. Case Management is the primary component of real change in the lives of our clients. It is what differentiates us from other shelter providers and is the most critical component in successful “Housing First” program delivery.
• Services need to be provided holistically to break the generational repetition of poverty and homelessness.
• Having been homeless is having survived a life-threatening traumatic event.
• 60% of SVDP clients have unmet mental health needs.
• The Veterans Administration has a significant unmet need for additional homeless services for men, women, and individuals struggling with addiction.
• The residents of Smoketown/Shelby Park are in clear need of assistance. As one of the most stressed census tracts in the Louisville area, 44% of families residing in Smoketown/Shelby Park live below the poverty line. Poverty rates for families with children present, with a female head of household jump to 64%.
St. Vincent de Paul believes in creating pathways out of poverty, overcoming barriers for the individual
and the whole family. SVDP’s track record of effectively helping the homeless gain personal and economic independence is very strong. Under the guidance of our case management team, our clients work diligently to achieve self-sufficiency.

Last year:
• 160,823 Meals Served in the Open Hand Kitchen
• 385 Households Helped through the Food Pantry
• 43 Children Enrolled in After-school tutoring at the Family Success Center
• 87 Children Enrolled in the Family Success Center’s Summer Program
• 260 women helped at St. Jude Women’s Recovery Center
• 421 men helped (+300 additional during White Flag) at Ozanam Inn Men’s Shelter
• 2,315 Volunteers provided 56,734 hours of service

St. Vincent de Paul Louisville works with our fellow local agencies to improve the delivery of social services in Louisville. Collaborative efforts with agencies such as the Veterans Administration, Centerstone, Phoenix Health Center, leadership roles on the board of the Coalition for the Homeless, and our investment in professional case management services demonstrate our ability to effectively and efficiently help those in need.

St. Vincent de Paul Louisville is a valued member of the Louisville social services community. In fact, more calls were referred to St. Vincent de Paul Louisville in 2016 from the Metro Louisville 2-1-1 hotline than to any other agency in the city. SVDP has experience in many facets of social service. Our plans are designed to leverage our strengths and build our capabilities where we add the most value to the community. We know we lead in providing stability through housing & shelter programs coupled with professional case management.

St. Vincent de Paul has a professional team of case managers working with each of our clients, including the 60 children who reside on the St. Vincent de Paul campus. Extensive case management provides a road map for each individual to help them toward a brighter, more stable future.

St. Vincent de Paul Louisville works with our fellow local agencies to improve the delivery of social services in Louisville. Collaborative efforts with agencies such as the Veterans Administration, Centerstone, Phoenix Health Center, leadership roles on the board of the Coalition for the Homeless, and our investment in professional case management services demonstrate our ability to effectively and efficiently help those in need.

St. Vincent de Paul Louisville is a valued member of the Louisville social services community. In fact, more calls were referred to St. Vincent de Paul Louisville in 2016 from the Metro Louisville 2-1-1 hotline than to any other agency in the city. SVDP has experience in many facets of social service. Our plans are designed to leverage our strengths and build our capabilities where we add the most value to the community. We know we lead in providing stability through housing & shelter programs coupled with professional case management.

St. Vincent de Paul is supported by more than 2,000 volunteers in addition to our professional staff. Funding for our programs comes from government grants, private donors, corporations and foundations. Additionally, we have a network of four thrift stores which provides an ongoing revenue source for our many programs.

Collaboration with other local agencies is a key ingredient to our success. Dare to Care Food Bank partners with St. Vincent de Paul's Open Hand Kitchen and the SVDP Food Bank. Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) provides tutors for our after school programs and we serve as a JCPS Learning Center, allowing our case management team to collaborate with faculty to maximize each child's academic success.

The St. Vincent de Paul campus has expanded significantly over the past several years with the addition of 54 new apartments for the formerly homeless, the building of the Family Success Center for youth programming and the addition of a much needed food pantry. Programs have also expanded to include additional life skill training.

As we move forward, our goal is to provide additional programs for youth and adults that provide them with the opportunity to experience mainstream activities that build their self-esteem and confidence. Creating a campus culture of learning allows us to prepare those who have experienced homelessness for a brighter, more secure future.