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

We work to end poverty throughout the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston one family at a time. Inspired by Gospel values, we grow spiritually through person to person service to all in need in our community.

Our actions promote the dignity of the person, alleviate suffering and distress, while addressing the conditions that cause them through systemic change.

At the heart of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul service is the Home Visit Ministry. This unique program allows Vincentians, our parish-based volunteers, to go in pairs to visit our friends in need in their homes.

This unique service allows us to see, first hand, the exact situation in which a person is living and experiencing. Although Vincentians are not case workers, they do undergo special training to learn how to interact with our friends in need. ​

Our Vincentians promote the dignity of the person. Once they enter the homes of our friends, Vincentians allow the Holy Spirit to guide them in their interaction with our friends and to open their hearts to reveal their needs.

Vincentians know that people who need help are are already financially limited so Vincentians drive to them

In 2018, Vincentians drove 343,000 unreimbursed miles and donated 180,000 volunteer hours to conduct 8,800 Home Visits.

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.

Home Visits
Most of the Society’s work is dependent on the cornerstone of our ministries – the home visit. Last year, Vincentians 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.

Food Network-The Society has transitioned into the Houston Food Bank’s “Hub and Spoke” model. In this venture, Conference food pantries order food (dairy products, produce, meat, beans and grains) from the HFB, who in turn make a bulk delivery to the John L. Food Depot as needed. This means the Society’s is the only hub delivering to Society pantries, ensuring convenience and safety for our Vincentian volunteers. In FY 2019 alone, our pantries distributed more than $6.5 million in food to the community in need.

In addition to distributing to the pantries, the Food Network continues to feed the local community directly through Food Fairs. Three times per month, the VSC hosts a Saturday Food Fair focused on providing fresh produce to the community. The event is open to everyone living in the Galveston-Houston area and is non-zip-code restricted.

Resale Shop and Vouchers -The Society has two resale shops, 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 outoutfits. When available, we supplement the voucher with new undergarments and hygiene supplies. An average of 35-50 clothing vouchers are redeemed per month.

• 2019 Community Impact
Last year the Society of St. Vincent de Paul provided for over 55,000 individuals with direct aid worth $11 million.

• $6.5 million in food assistance
• $3.2 million in rent and utility assistance
• $500,000 in disaster relief
• $300,000 in in clothing assistance
• $225,000 other needs such as tuition, funeral and medical
• $175,000 un furniture and appliance

Last year, over 1,800 Vincentian volunteers and over 1,433 Good Samaritan volunteers provided basic needs assistance to those living in poverty by working across the 10 counties that geographically make up the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.