LETTERS FROM OUR SERVANT LEADERS

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 I asked the question to a group of high school students “What does someone in poverty look like?” and the replies were not surprising. The most common response described a person we often see on the corner asking for money. That’s what we have come to believe when in reality it’s not always true. People in poverty can be living next door to us. People in poverty may be living in a motel. Our preconceived notions of what someone should look like impacts how we view them and the challenges they face.

How can you be poor if you have a job? You’re dressed too well to be poor. You have a cell phone so how poor are you? These questions often are raised about the people served by Society of St Vincent de Paul. You see, they don’t meet the preconceived notion many have of what the poor should look like.

A research project conducted by the United Way and numerous universities across the US called ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed) has shed a light on those that are often referred to as the hidden poor. They are employed but struggle to afford basic necessities. They live on the edge of homelessness. They don’t receive government benefits because they make too much money but not enough to get ahead. ALICE may be the cashier at your food store or the waitress at your restaurant. ALICE may work in the cubicle next to you.

ALICE may not have reliable transportation. ALICE may not have sufficient savings to get an apartment so she lives in an extended stay motel. ALICE may have made the decision to take a pay day loan just to make ends meet one month. On the outside, ALICE doesn't look like she is poor (or at least what society has told us she should look like). But make no mistake, she is one car repair or one illness away from being that person we often think of when we describe someone living in poverty. 

As Vincentians, we strive to "See the face of Christ and be the face of Christ" to our neighbors in need. In doing so, we don't see someone as poor. Afterall, we are all poor in one way or the other.  We don't judge them on how they should look or what they should or should not own.

The ALICE project does a wonderful job of describing this group of people that are often overlooked. However, the Society of St Vincent de Paul  sees them simply as brothers and sisters in Christ who we are called to help. Part of that help is being the face of Christ to those in need. Often times the greatest gift a Vincentian can bring is their presence so our neighbors in need have someone that will give a listening ear with no judgment passed on them.

Our work here across the Diocese of Richmond of Richmond has grown because we view our neighbors in need as our partners in this work to help prevent homelessness. Our programs, including our new program, Motel 2 Home (learn more about below), have all come out of our home visits. These visits are an opportunity for Vincentians to build a relationship with those we serve and to see the face of Christ in our neighbors and be the face of Christ through our presence and actions.

What will this lead to in the future across our diocese for the Society of St Vincent de Paul? We dream of serving more neighbors in need but we need more parishes to join our work. We dream of one day having a Vincentian center so that our neighbors in need can come to one location and receive the help and support that Vincentians offer in their warm and loving way. We dream that all those we serve will have a safe and sustainable home where they can rest their heads each night. 

Remember, poverty doesn't look a certain way.  The one look we should all strive to see in everyone we encounter is the face of Christ. 

Serviens in spe,

Dan Kearns

Executive Director

Society of Saint Vincent de Paul-Richmond

In March, I was fortunate enough to attend the mid-year meetings of the Society of St Vincent de Paul in St Louis. It was a great experience seeing my Vincentian brothers and sisters from around the US gathered together where our work in America all began in 1845. The actual first American Conference met in the Old Cathedral which is located right next to the Arch. As I was going to mass one morning at the Old Cathedral, I was able to take the above picture of the Arch as the sun came up over the Mississippi River. As I watched this unfold and thought about those first Vincentians both in Paris and America, three words came to mind: faith, action and hope.

Let's start with faith. In our mission statement, the development of our own faith is the primary point of our work. Without that, we could not serve our brothers and sisters in need effectively and compassionately. As Vincentians, we are called to both be the face of Christ to those we serve and see the face of Christ in those we serve. Our service is centered on faith.

But our vocation as Vincentians also asks us to bring our Catholic faith to our neighbors in need. Most of those we serve across the Diocese of Richmond are not Catholic. We are called to encourage our neighbors in need to strengthen their faith life by engaging with a faith community (not necessarily Catholic). Faith is our greatest tool as Vincentians and the greatest gift we can share. Too many of our neighbors in need have lost faith. Our presence through the home visit can maybe restore that faith and start someone on the road to recovery. Faith comes before action.We are most often known for our actions as Vincentians. Ask some one what the Society of St Vincent de Paul does and they will respond with 'You help the poor" or "You run a thrift store." Both those comments are definitely true. But the Society does so much more. Let's start with our core action-the in person home visit. Two Vincentians make a visit to our neighbors in need just like Frederic Ozanam did almost 200 years ago. This visit is the critical action because it allows those we serve to be comfortable and truly open up about the challenges they face. It also gives them some dignity in being more than just a number while Vincentians presence reminds them that they are loved and cared for. 

Through the actions of our generous donors, board members, home visit teams, intake specialists, thrift store volunteers / staff and our food pantry volunteers, we were able to serve more than 8,000 neighbors in need in 2023 with over $875,000 in assistance. The faith filled actions of our Vincentians leads us to the wonderful return on this investment-a return called hope.

Hope is often the result of faith and action. It is the hope that our neighbors in need often find after having a Vincentian visit-the hope when they remember that God really does love them and care for them. It is a hope for our Vincentian volunteers that their service is strengthening their relationship with God. It is the hope that our organization will continue to grow and serve more people with the spirit that only a Vincentian can bring. The faith and actions of our Vincentians brings me great hope of the future we can have across our Diocese of Richmond. 

Serviens in spe,

Dan Kearns

Executive Director

Society of Saint Vincent de Paul-Richmond

  "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God..." Luke 1:28-30

As a young girl hearing this message from the angel, Mary was troubled and afraid. Yet, she answered positively to God's call to service and trusted in His will. We can assume that most of us have not been visited by an angel in this dramatic way but God still calls us to service in other ways. How do we respond?

More than 300 people across the Diocese of Richmond and more than 100,000 across the United States have answered God's call to strengthen their faith lives through service to those most in need by becoming members of the Society of St Vincent de Paul. These Vincentians perform home visits to help those struggling financially, spiritually and in other ways. These Vincentians work at our food pantries to provide this basic necessity to those we serve. Vincentians may volunteer at our thrift store to help raise funds and provide housewares to people in need. Our Vincentians may deliver furniture and mattresses across the Diocese of Richmond for families who go without. 

Yet there are so many people that we cannot serve because we need more people to answer the call to service. We need people to consider either joining existing St Vincent de Paul Conferences or start new ones. The Society of St Vincent de Paul teaches you everything you need to know and will provide an experience unlike any other.

In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock at night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. And so the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the City Of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."  Luke 2:8-11

Again, there is the phrase "Do not be afraid." This or a version of this is the most common phrase found in the Bible. Whether it was Mary, the teenager who would be the mother of God or lowly shepherds in a field, God shared the same message. He shares this message with us today. Whether as Vincentians serving those in need or to those struggling in poverty, God reminds us that He has a loving plan for us and we just need to trust in Him and follow-but we often make that challenging.

Maybe we fear that we don't have the time to participate in a ministry. Maybe we fear that it's just too overwhelming to take on poverty.  Like Mary, we need to accept God's call and happily serve Him regardless of the commitment required.

For those struggling in poverty, their fears are more centered on how to provide food tomorrow and what will happen if the car breaks down because they cannot afford to fix it. Like the shepherds, it is hard for them to accept that God would come to them and be there for them.

Yet for the unsure volunteer and the person living in poverty, God says, "Be not afraid." I am here for you. As Vincentians, we look to not only bring Jesus to our friends in need but we are called to see the face of Jesus in those we serve.

So this Christmas season, put aside any fears or concerns you may have and consider getting engaged with Society of St Vincent de Paul.  May your heart be open to God's call to service and to help those in need. 

Serviens in spe,

Dan Kearns

Executive Director

Society of Saint Vincent de Paul-Richmond

 We often think of Christmas as the time of giving and receiving gifts. Some of our fondest memories is when we received that toy we wanted as a child or maybe that family you helped as an adult.  Wisemen from the East got in on the gift giving early on as did that little drummer boy (ok-that may be a stretch).  As we celebrate the Christmas season, gifts have always played a large part in this story. But as Vincentians, we give and accept gifts in a different way.

Let's start with the gift of caring. Vincentians provide this with every home visit they make to a family in crisis. Vincentians share this gift with every phone call they make to check in on the single mom who is unsure if someone cares about her. Possibly the most important gift of caring that a Vincentian provides to our friends in need is the gift of prayer. For many of those we serve  have lost hope-and through a simple prayer, a Vincentian can help restore that hope in a person.

The obvious gift that so many Vincentians provide is financial. Without our donors, the Society could not help the more than 3,000 individuals we assisted last year. The generosity of our Vincentians and all our donors is staggering and continues to grow.
Unlike so many of us, Vincentians don't focus their giving during the Christmas season. Vincentians give throughout the year, whenever the need arises. Vincentians give the gift of their time. Whether it's the home visit for the family in need who cannot pay their rent or the time spent helping set up and plan the largest Friends of the Poor Walk in the US last year, Vincentians across the Diocese give of their time willingly throughout the year.

So during this Christmas season as you give and receive gifts, know the gift that Vincentians give and receive all year through. It is the gift of a Savior, born in a manger, who came in to the world as a simple infant and would change it forever. That child is who Vincentians get to see in the face of every friend in need we serve. That is the greatest gift of all.

To all our Vincentians, supporters and colleagues across the Diocese of Richmond, may you have blessed and Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year.
 

Serviens in spe,

Dan Kearns

Executive Director

Society of Saint Vincent de Paul-Richmond

 All of us can probably remember the look on the face of a loved one that has changed your life in one way or another. But recently, I had a different experience. It was not the face of someone I knew but rather a complete stranger. It wasn't a smile or a frown but rather just a glance from someone I had never met and will most likely never meet again.

Our family had just witnessed some of God's greatest creations during our vacation to the American West. The Rocky Mountains, Arches and the Grand Canyon were awe inspiring. 

As our trip ended in Las Vegas, we walked down Las Vegas Boulevard one afternoon and saw all of the billion dollar resorts and casinos. But what truly stuck with me was the face of another of God's creations. No-this wasn't a billion dollar property or a wonder of the world. It was a homeless person lying in an old blanket in front of one of the lavish resorts. The woman appeared to be asleep with all her belongings in two bags. As we were walking near her, I was thinking how does this happen? And just then, she opened her eyes just a bit and looked right at me. She didn't ask for money. She was barely awake. But she looked right at me. I wondered what was she thinking. She was just laying there watching the world go by-hoping to live or maybe hoping to die. A young woman who maybe lost a job, struggled with mental illness, addiction or something else. But she was someone's daughter, a sister or maybe a mother. But there she was. And I thought, what can we do?

Is there some new program that can serve the homeless better or maybe help prevent someone from becoming homeless? The Society works every day through their home visits in an effort to keep people housed. What we can do here in Virginia? First-we could have more parishes join our efforts to serve our friends in need. Second-the Society will increase our advocacy efforts to help locate and create more affordable housing for people across the Diocese of Richmond.

But here is what I ask of each of you. Remember that one face, maybe someone you encountered in a home visit or somebody you saw on the side of the road asking for help. Keep that one face in your memory and commit to helping those in need. Let that face be your driver to help make a difference for someone who is struggling.

As Vincentians, we are called to see the face of Christ in those we serve. So, that one face I asked you to commit to memory is also the face of Christ. For me, the face of that homeless woman in Las Vegas watching life pass her by is the one face I will remember as I try to do better in serving our brothers and sisters across our Diocese.

And now I ask you, with that one face etched into your memory, to help the work of the Society of St Vincent de Paul.

Serviens in spe,

Dan Kearns

Executive Director

Society of Saint Vincent de Paul-Richmond