Society of St. Vincent de Paul- Archdiocese of Galveston Houston

The Society has two resale shops – one running directly from the VSC and the second, a stand-alone building in Bellaire. Both shops are available for our friends to redeem their Clothing and Furniture Vouchers given to them as a result of the Home Visit. All furniture and clothing items are donated by the local community. The shops also act as a vehicle for low-income families to purchase items at a low cost. Clothing vouchers provide our friends with five outfits. When available, we supplement the voucher with new undergarments and hygiene supplies. An average of 35-50 clothing vouchers are redeemed per month. During the Home Visit, our Vincentians sometimes notice a family may need beds or a table to eat as a family. One of our core beliefs is that all humans deserve to live dignified lives. For that reason, our Vincentians provide them with a Furniture Voucher to provide families with beds to sleep on and a table to have dinner. Last year, we provided $380,000 in clothing and home furnishings.

Most of the Society’s work is dependent on the cornerstone of our ministries – the home visit. Last year, Vincentian volunteers made over 8,300 home visits, providing financial, medical, and spiritual assistance to friends in need. Home visits are the core of our mission and enable us to learn the needs of our friends using a unique and personal approach. Home visits will continue to be a crucial tool in both our emergency aid and systemic change efforts. Funding for this program would support poor Conferences in their efforts to provide aid to friends-in-need in their respective areas. Resiliency F.I.R.S.T.--In 2018 the Society was invited to participate in a small group within the Alliance of Community Assistance Ministries of Greater Houston (ACAM) framework known as the Evolver Cohort. This group of four organizations is focused on participation in a research and development pilot study known as Resiliency F.I.R.S.T. (Family Independence through Resiliency and Self-Sufficiency Tools). The goal of this study is to create a model to move our friends-in-need beyond crisis into resiliency and self-sufficiency. Through our Home Visit ministry, Vincentians will conduct in-depth assessments to identify participants for the study. We are in the second-year phase.

At our two Resale Stores you will find three different types of shoppers: 1. the “thrifter” looking for the special treasure; 2. the working poor who cannot afford full retail and find great value because of deeply discounted pricing and 3. the shopper unbeknownst to others, who has a clothing voucher to redeem 5 sets of clothing at no charge to them as a result of a Home Visit. All proceeds help support programming and emergency/disaster relief efforts.