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Fr�d�ric's
E-Gazette
An e-newsletter from the National Council of the U.S. Society of St. Vincent de Paul™
January 22, 2015
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In This Issue
- From Our Servant Leader
- Reflect & share SERVING IN HOPE-Module VI: Our Vincentian Conference for the SVdPUSA 170th Anniversary Celebration
- Q&A - National Council responds to Common Questions (Spanish Link)
- SVdP International Disaster Campaign
- Returning Citizen Re-Entry Group Successes
- RESOURCES for Conferences and Members
- Look and See - A Bit of History
- Report on Hunger and Homelessness
- SAVE THE DATE: National Vincentian Family Gathering October 23-25
- Become a Vincentian Leader - Spirituality and Fellowship
- Stay connected in 2015 - follow SVdPUSA on Social Media Sites:
- Systemic Change Workshop
- NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT UPDATES
- NETWORK's Associate Program Opportunity
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From Your Servant Leader
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David W. Barringer, CEO
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January 22, 2015
When the world cries, it counts on America to help wipe away the tears.
Our Society thrives in 150 countries, large and small, across the globe in parishes just like ours. This gives each of us - through the worldwide Society family -
the ability to respond to need in local communities right away. If a storm devastates one parish community, the Society in the parish next door can work on behalf of all of us to help both quickly
and effectively.
I'm using my column this week to ask for your help. The worldwide assistance program operated by our Society through its Commission for International Aid and Development (CIAD) has exhausted its general operating account by providing $7.3 million dollars in direct assistance, in 82 different countries in the last eight and half years. Anywhere in the world, when a National Council's Society needs assistance with disaster relief or for development projects, CIAD is the group that activates an assessment and response. Large-scale disasters might result in special worldwide campaigns. But what happens when a small-scale disaster happens? Or when a community needs basics like food and water, or shelter, or educational assistance, outside of a disaster? CIAD uses our donated funds to help each of us reach out and help the world's neediest.
Read more Yours in Christ, 
Dave Click here to donate Go to the "Donation Programs" line and select "International Disasters" from the drop-down menu. |
Disclaimer:
(NOTE: The links in some of the articles are intended to take you to websites for a specific story, page, function or program approved for your use by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. The Society does not accept responsibility for, or grant approval of, peripheral advertising or stories that may reside on those websites.)
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SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL UNITED STATES
SERVING IN HOPE-Module VI
Reflect on and share for SVdPUSA's
170TH ANNIVERSARY 
(1845-2015)
To capture the grace of our foundation, all of the Conferences in the United States are invited to pray, reflect and share on: SERVING IN HOPE-Module VI: OUR VINCENTIAN CONFERENCE.
In January we will focus on Part 1 of Session 6.1: Our Spirituality. Our Rule (1:2.2) tells us that "Vincentians are called to journey together towards holiness." Spirituality is the first purpose of Society as we are called to bring the love and peace of Christ to those who are suffering. Over 1,070 Conferences have purchased 12,843 copies of Module VI and have begun the journey of sharing and celebrating our Anniversary. What about your Conference?
Order Materials:
Online at www.svdpusa.org or Email: [email protected]
Formation Guide #1060-English: $2.00 each (one for each member)
DVD #1062-English: $10.00 (one for each Conference)
Formation Guide #1064-Spanish: $2.00 each (one for each member)
DVD #1066-Spanish: $10.00 (one for each Conference)
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In this column, we answer commonly asked questions that the National Council receives from across the country.
Q: I would like to know if your office or any other SVDP department has written procedures as to how SVDP Conferences should handle this problem of people who want to give SVDP a donation and specifically designate an individual to be paid directly or indirectly by those funds donated or gifted.
A: This is not uncommon. The situation has come up many times. It is NOT proper for SVdP to be involved in this. This is effectively a gift from an individual to another person and should not go through SVdP. The only case when it would be permissible is if SVdP originally decided they wanted to help this individual or family and then sought financial support to do so. We do not have a formal written policy related to this.
Q: Is it permissible for non-Catholic associate members to be members of our board of directors?
A: From a general standpoint, non-Catholics may not be officers. That is confirmed in the Rule. It is not uncommon within the Society to have members of the community (non-Vincentians) as board members. Those members of the community may or may not be Catholic. Keep in mind that the majority of board members must be active members of the Society. This should be defined in your bylaws.
Q: Someone asked me about the requirement that active members be practicing Catholics and what "practicing" Catholic would mean. Officers, of course, are one thing, but as I recall The Rule is not definitive about this. I recall, however, that when Bishop Conway was national episcopal advisor he was very firm that if we wanted the support of the bishops we needed to require active members to be practicing Catholic and in Communion with us. I am interest in your take on this.
A: There is nothing in The Rule or bylaws that requires an active member to be a "practicing" Catholic. The interpretation of this is too subjective. I have not seen anything to show what that really means. We don't take roll call or do sign in at Mass so we don't know how often an individual attends Mass or goes to Communion or confession. For those registered in a parish, we have some sacramental information. We don't go by "practicing" Catholic because it is too hard to determine or track.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS EDITION'S Q&A SEPARATELY
Q&A Archives
Submit your questions to:
Mike Syslo,
Senior Director of Governance
[email protected]
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SVdP International Disaster Campaign
Commission for International Aid & Development (CIAD)
The worldwide assistance program operated by our Society through its Commission for International Aid and Development (CIAD) has exhausted its general operating account by providing $7.3 million dollars in direct assistance, in 82 different countries in the last eight and half years. Anywhere in the world, when a National Council's Society needs assistance with disaster relief or for development projects, CIAD is the group that activates an assessment and response.
A strong CIAD helps all of us to assure that immediate need is met with immediate assistance through the Society of St. Vincent de Paul around the world.
Click here to donate
Go to the "Donation Programs" line and select "International Disasters" from the drop-down menu.
- or -
Please send a check in care of:
International Disaster Campaign
Society of St. Vincent de Paul National Council
58 Progress Parkway
Maryland Heights, MO 63043
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SVdP Returning Citizen Re-Entry Group Successes
by Mike Gallagher, President, SW Idaho District Council
Ladies and Gentlemen; I write this note to you to describe some successes we have had with aiding offenders to reenter society after release from mainly, the Idaho Dept. of Corrections facilities.
Idaho has a fairly low crime rate, but a high rate of recidivism. Once they are in, they don't get out. The arguable rate we believe is 67%. This is unacceptable.
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 RESOURCES for SVdP Conferences and Members The Society of St. Vincent de Paul provides important information, documents and materials for members on www.svdpusa.org, just click on SVdP members and search under the categories of: -
Programs/Tools
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Documents
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Meetings
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Shop
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Membership
Read more
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Look and See - A Bit of History
By Mike Syslo
I was reading some SVdP history the other day. The publication I was reading is "The St. Vincent de Paul Quarterly" published by the Superior Council of New York in November of 1909. Take a look at the date another time. That's right - this was published more than 100 years ago.
The article linked below is primarily reviewing a quarterly report comprising the Conferences in what is now the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. It reflects three months of activity from those Conferences. This has significance not only for our Vincentians in the Philadelphia area, but for all of our Vincentians throughout the country.
Take a close look at what our fellow Vincentians actually accomplished - more at the statistics rather than the dollars (remember: these are 1909 dollars). Our history shows that we have always been involved in more than just "emergency services." Take a look at the variety of services as well as the spiritual nature of the Society.
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Report on Hunger and Homelessness
The United States Conference of Mayors recently released its 32nd Annual Hunger and Homelessness Survey. The survey was conducted between September 2013 and August 2014 and is a status report focusing on hunger and homelessness in 25 of America's cities.
The cities were asked for information on the extent and causes of hunger and homelessness and the emergency food assistance and homeless services they provide. The data from the cities represented many of the issues that are being faced in communities nationwide.
More than 70 percent of the cities surveyed reported an increase in requests for emergency food assistance over the past year. Among people requesting emergency food assistance, 56 percent were people in families, 38 percent were employed, 20.5 percent were elderly and seven percent were homeless.
Click here to view the entire report
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Call for Training Programs
As part of the Extension Initiative, the task force is preparing to provide specific training programs for Conference and/or Council officers: President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.
We know that some of you have developed training programs for this purpose and we would like to take advantage of your experience and best practices. There is no reason for us to re-invent the wheel if all it will take is adoption and a little modification.
If your Council is already using a particular training program for officers, please send a copy of it to Mike Syslo at [email protected]. We appreciate your assistance in this.
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WHY IN THE WORLD SHOULD I BECOME A VINCENTIAN LEADER?
PART 1 - SPIRITUALITY AND FELLOWSHIP
Vincentians have a general misunderstanding of what taking on leadership positions within the Society truly means, especially when it comes to assuming the office of President of a Conference or Council. Members might not appreciate the benefits of assuming the role of a Conference or Council leader.
With this in mind, we sought input from a number of Council Presidents around the country who were selected randomly. This paper is based in large part on their feedback and experiences. Believe it or not, leaders told us there were personal benefits to be gained from serving as a Conference and Council president and, of course, there are benefits to the Society which translate into being better able to serve those in need.
Read more
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Call for Papers for 2015 National Assembly
The National Council of the United States Society of St. Vincent de Paul is currently accepting submissions of high quality workshop proposals for the 2015 National Assembly in Providence, Rhode Island.
Read more
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Hope in Action Systemic Change Workshop
The North Central Region is holding a Systemic Change train-the-trainer workshop. This workshop will equip a Diocese, District, or Conference team to plan their local implementation and train others in their community. Read more
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"Getting Ahead in a Just Gettin' by World"
2015 Facilitator Training
We must cancel the plan for the January 31 / February 7 "Getting Ahead in a Just Gettin' by World" facilitator training webinar. Our principal presenter has been scheduled for surgery at that time. Please pray for a speedy recovery for her. If you were planning to attend that webinar, please use the link below to sign up for one of the other dates listed.
Upcoming webinar dates are:
- March 5 & 12, 5:00-8:30 p.m., Central time
- April 23 & 30, 2:00-5:30 p.m., Central time
Read more
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2015 National SVdP Development Seminar
Save the Dates - July 13-14
Topics to be covered:
- Major Gifts
- Planned Giving
- SVdP Branding
- Round Table Discussions
- Networking
More details to follow!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Dates: Monday and Tuesday, July 13 and 14 (1/2 day)
Location: Sheraton Downtown, Phoenix, AZ
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National Development Department
Programs
Friends of the Poor� Grant Program
Applications are due by February 28 for the North Central and Southeast Regions!
Apply TODAY:
1. The application is simple and can be downloaded from the national website http://new.svdpusa.com/developtools/FOP-Grant
2. Conferences may apply for a grant up to $5,000 annually.
MORE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS:  Join the Mobile Network  Motel 6  National Vehicle Donation Program 
S2 Verify National Partnership Update Are you familiar with the S2Verify national partnership? S2Verify is an industry-leading, full-service background screening provider. The service is used for prospective employees and/or volunteers and they are offering a basic social security verification report and criminal history search for $4.70. Over the past several months, seven different Councils have used the services, with 360 searches being conducted and 179 reports provided. If you would like to learn more about this national partnership, click here: S2VERIFY - Q&A - Package & a la carte Pricing For more information, contact:
 Steven Martinez, National Development Director 314/576-3993 ext 213 [email protected]
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WILL YOUR COUNCIL HOST A FUTURE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY?
Vincentians of these Councils Will!
Read more
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SVdP National Office Staffer visits Harvard to discuss Ferguson Solutions
This past weekend, Dr. Lance McCarthy, of the SVdP National Council, took part in a panel discussion about solutions for rebuilding Ferguson and urban America at Harvard University.
He was joined by a group of representatives from the Ferguson area, as well as members of the Ferguson 1000 Initiative, an initiative that is working to bring 1,000 jobs to the depressed region.
The group of community, corporate and political leaders discussed unemployment, municipal systems, police departments and other issues at the core of struggling municipalities and lessons that were learned from events that have recently occurred.
Dr. McCarthy spoke on job creation and training in Ferguson and North St. Louis. He outlined a strategy that included minority business development, job readiness training and youth development programs.
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SVdP in the News
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
 | | Adrian meets some Mini Vinnies. Photo: Independent Catholic News |
NEWS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY
St. Vincent de Paul hosts Souper Bowl kickoff
The Catholic Sun
 | | Local food banks and dining rooms, including St. Vincent de Paul, hope Arizonans support the Souper Bowl of Caring effort designed to raise funds and food to feed those in need. St. Vincent de Paul hosted a kickoff luncheon Jan. 14. Photo: Ambria Hammel/CATHOLIC SUN |
PHOENIX AZ - An estimated 140 million Americans tune in to the Super Bowl with many heavily snacking throughout. Meanwhile, some 50 million across America face hunger.
That's enough to fill more than 500 stadiums. The Souper Bowl of Caring movement, now in its 25th year, has inspired the community to raise more than $100 million since its inception. Nearly $8.5 million in cash and food items - some $60,000 in Arizona - was raised last year benefitting 6,500 charities.
Read more
CLEVELAND OH: St. Vincent de Paul Society Celebrates 150 Years
PORTLAND OR: St. Vincent de Paul Mobile Kitchen
These are just a few of the
media stories you can read
in this week's edition of
SVdP in the News.
Frederic's E-Gazette Articles Submission:
Every Wednesday by 12 noon for article
to be included in current week's edition
Thrift Store & Special Works Annual Reports Due
Before the owner (Conference or Council) of the store or special works has to do their report since the owner needs the store and special work information for their (Conference or Council) report.
Hope in Action - Systemic Change Workshop
North Central Region
January 23-24
Conference Annual Reports Due
for Fiscal Year ending 12-31
January 31
(Arch)Diocesan Council Annual Report Due
for Fiscal Year ending 9-30
January 31
National Disaster Preparedness Training
Dallas-Fort Worth
February 13-15
District Council Annual Reports Due
for Fiscal Year Ending 12-31
February 28
Getting Ahead Facilitator Training Webinar
March 5 & 12
(Arch)Diocesan Council Annual Report Due
for Fiscal Year ending 12-31
March 31
Getting Ahead Facilitator Training Webinar
April 23 & 30
National MidYear Meeting
St. Louis
April 8-11
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Have you visited us on Facebook or Twitter?
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ATTENTION COUNCIL PRESIDENTS & EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS:
SOME OF YOUR MEMBERS AREN'T GETTING THE E-GAZETTE!
The frequency of members contacting the National Council to inquire about being added to Frederic's E-Gazette distribution is significant!
Please encourage the online administrators you have designated to input members email addresses into the National Council membership database.
If you need help identifying your online administrator or assistance with assigning online administrators to maintain your conference membership records, contact Pam Johnson.
DON'T KEEP SECRETS!
WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HELP OTHERS IN YOUR COMMUNITY?
SHARE YOUR GOOD NEWS! Exciting news to share? Best practices? Has someone in your Conference or Council done something noteworthy? Was your Conference or Council recognized for an outstanding accomplishment?
WHATEVER YOU'RE DOING, OTHERS WANT TO KNOW!!
Send your good news to me!
Pamela F. Johnson
National Director of Membership Services
Email: [email protected]
(314) 576-3993 ext. 201
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