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

Our goal is to have a chapter serving every area in the greater Galveston-Houston area. We also aim to preserve the dignity of anyone seeking ours aid while helping them as they face fiscal hardship and moving them from adversity to strength and self-reliance.

The Society combines person-to-person support, basic needs assistance, and linkages to its services and community-based resources to increase long-term wellness and financial stability for neighbors experiencing fiscal instability. The core of Vincentian services is the Home Visit. A cadre of 1800 Vincentian Volunteers serve those in need while maintaining the highest respect and dignity. It is during this interaction when Vincentians extend the assistance and support families need to move past a crisis to financial and emotional well-being. Other key services the Society offers:
• Food Network: Provides food assistance at 22 pantries throughout Greater Houston. The Food Network operates a Food Fair three Saturdays per month. Over 60 volunteers give produce, dairy, meat, and non-perishable items to over 400 families per fair.
• Disaster Services: Although the Society is not a first responder, its Disaster Services help individuals and families from what can be a devastating, life-altering loss from a disaster. The Society provides help with basic needs such as water, food, clothing, and furniture.
• Emergency Assistance: Volunteers provide person-to-person support to identify financial needs related to real-time struggles and ensure that neighbors can receive mortgage, rental, utility, and flexible assistance needed to move past a crisis.
• Resale Shops: The Society operates two Resale Shops, which provide furniture and clothing to those in need. People in need can redeem Clothing and Furniture Vouchers given to them during Home Visits to receive outfits, shoes, undergarments, hygiene items, and bedroom, living room, and kitchen furniture.
• The Getting Ahead Program: Enables people themselves to engage in the identification of the root causes of their poverty and to create strategies to change structures that keep them in poverty and to build skill sets to be able to respond to future challenges. The program consists of a 16-week course with 8-12 participants and includes group discussions and modules to help them research the resources of their community. Since these sessions are virtual, every participant is given a laptop and anyone within the Archdiocese can take part.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul works to end poverty one family at a time throughout Greater Houston. Inspired by Gospel values, the Society grows spiritually through person-to-person service to all in need in the community. It does this through its network of charity following the essential elements of spirituality, friendship, and service. SVdP is made up of members actively living their faith by loving and providing hope to their neighbors. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston has been serving Greater Houston since 1871 and provides services at 56 Conferences throughout the region. It currently has 1,800 Vincentian volunteers and 200 Council volunteers providing basic needs assistance to those living in poverty by working across the 10 counties that geographically make up the Archdiocese. These volunteers provided 140,000 volunteer hours, a $4.2 million value, in 2022. With such a strong, active volunteer base, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is able to use 95% of its organizational expenses toward program services.

In 2022, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul served 49,200 people with direct aid worth $13.2 million. Also in 2022, we provided $7.7 million in food assistance, translating to 3.8 million pounds of food to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity. SVdP gave $4.8 million in rental, utility, and flexible assistance to prevent homelessness and utility interruption, and offered direct care and support through home visits to neighbors in need throughout Greater Houston in order for them to maintain their dignity.