St. Vincent de Paul Place
By Kathy Gaito
The theme for the 2018 Annual Catholic Appeal is “Standing Together to Build the Future”. Each month we will feature a group who supports our Diocesan Ministries by following this motto through their good works.
St. Vincent de Paul Place (SVdPP) in Norwich, Connecticut epitomizes this year’s Annual Catholic Appeal theme, “Standing Together (with Super Heroes) to Build the Future”. If you have access to a computer, visit their website at www.svdpp.org and see how a small staff is doing big things in the Diocese of Norwich. You may ask, “How are they able to make such a significant impact on the lives of others?” Well, it’s because they have others in the community standing with them. Volunteers, board members, local businesses and schools have reached out to St. Vincent de Paul Place offering their support through the years. SVdPP is a prime example of the progress that can be achieved when others join in the mission. The number of volunteer hours at SVdPP is astounding! Over 150 active volunteers, community service workers, and Maturity Works participants provided 15,581 hours of service from January 1 - June 30, 2018 which is the equivalent of about 15 full-time employees!
Jillian Corbin, Executive Director of St. Vincent de Paul Place, staff and volunteers are devoted to the mission of (SVdPP), welcoming anyone in need and offering a wide array of solutions to accomplish their goals. Jillian offered, “We are often asked about success stories for the people that we serve at St. Vincent de Paul Place and there are many; however, each story is ongoing and different each day for the people involved. There are no simple solutions and rarely a quick fix to the many challenges people encounter. We embrace each individual where they are at and help them, over time, to find ways to overcome the obstacles that they are facing. With only four full-time staff members, and three part-time staff, we are reliant on the dedicated services offered by volunteers. Volunteers are often the first person that a patron encounters when they walk in the doors at SVdPP.”
On June 24, 2018 St. Vincent de Paul Place celebrated their volunteers with their annual Volunteer Appreciation Picnic. The theme for the picnic was Super Heroes! Based on the work that these volunteers do at SVdPP…from preparing meals, answering phones, stocking shelves, making food bags, doing laundry, sorting and folding clothes, carrying in donations, distributing hygiene bags, pet food, t-shirts and socks…the Super Heroes theme couldn’t be more fitting!
The reward received by all of those who give of their time, talent and treasures to St. Vincent de Paul Place can be summed up by one of SVdPP’s ongoing success stories. Jillian Corbin shared, “Recently, we celebrated a person who became successfully housed after living in his car for over a year. Facing homelessness with limited income and resources coupled with the amount of time that he was outside had made housing him more challenging. Once we were able to build a trusting relationship, we were able to offer different options that eventually led to him being housed. The story does not end there. Now that he has a safe place to lay his head at night, he can start the arduous process of working on his personal issues that brought him to becoming homeless. Having the emotional support at SVdPP and as a safe place to go makes it easier for him to take the next steps in his life.”
Thank you to all who serve our St. Vincent de Paul Place ministry! Your support and the support of others allow our ministries to continue their service to our community. Thank you for “Standing Together to Build the Future” of the Diocese of Norwich!
To learn more about the 2018 Annual Catholic Appeal and about how you can help support the ministries in the Diocese of Norwich please visit www.norwichdiocesedevelopment.org to view the ACA video and make your pledge. Or call the Office of Development at 860-886-1928.