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Society of St. Vincent de Paul Omaha
September 2023 Newsletter
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Supporting our neighbors in need through spirituality, friendship and service;
providing emergency food, clothing, material and financial / homeless prevention assistance, since 1868
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IN THIS ISSUE:
- A Message from our Executive Director
- Conference Spotlight - St. Peter
- Feast Day of St. Vincent de Paul - Mass & Reception
- Salties & Sweets
- SSVP Pantry Still In Need of Food!
- Pantry Garden Update
- Winter Coat Drive & Giveaway Taking Shape
- Volunteer Appreciation Event
- Holy Family Supports/Joists Repairs Update
- Thrift Stores Closing on Labor Day
- Recurring Gifts
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Message from our Executive Director, Jill Lynch-Sosa | |
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“Go and do what you can for your part and God will do the rest.”
- St. Vincent de Paul
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Dear SSVP Friends,
September 27th is the Feast Day of St. Vincent de Paul, the patron saint of the Society, as well as of all works of charity. Even though Vincent lived and worked in France 400 years ago, his example of service to the poor has endured over the centuries.
As I was reflecting on the simple, yet profound message from St. Vincent de Paul, above, I thought it might be helpful to share with you a little about the founding of the Society, as well as how it has grown over the years, capturing the hearts of Catholics whose personal call to holiness is intertwined with a call to service. Throughout the evolution of SSVP, it’s easy to see how God truly has “done the rest” in inspiring countless people – worldwide and through the present day – to follow Vincent’s example, and to do their part in serving neighbors in their time of need.
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Society of St. Vincent de Paul
1581 – Vincent de Paul was born in the village of Pouy in the Kingdom of France.
1600 – Vincent was ordained a Catholic priest.
1617 – Vincent began serving poor families in Paris, bringing them food & comfort.
1625 – Vincent founded the Congregation of the Mission (aka "Vincentians") in Paris. These priests, with vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and stability, were to devote themselves entirely to the poor people in smaller towns and villages.
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1633 – Along with Louise de Marillac, Vincent co-founded the lay-led, women-only Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, also in Paris. This organization set up soup kitchens, organized community hospitals, established schools and homes for orphaned children, offered job training, taught the young to read and write, and improved prison conditions.
1660 – Vincent de Paul died in Paris at the age of 79.
1737 – Vincent was canonized as a saint by Pope Clement XII.
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1833 – The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was founded in Paris by Frederic Ozanam, a 20-year-old law student at the Sorbonne University in Paris, France, assisted by Rosalie Rendu, a Daughter of Charity. The early members of the Society focused on assisting the impoverished people living in the slums of Paris, with the organization’s vowed mission to being dedicated to the sanctification of its members by personal service of the poor.
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Mid-to-late 19th Century – The Society gradually expanded into other European countries and around the world.
1845 – The United States’ first conference was established in St. Louis, Missouri (which is where the National SSVP Headquarters continues to reside).
1868 – The first SSVP conference was established in Omaha.
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2018 – The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Omaha’s offices moved to Holy Family Catholic Church.
2020 – Holy Family was decommissioned as a church, at which time Holy Family’s homeless ministries and outreach became special works of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Omaha.
Today, there are St. Vincent de Paul councils & conferences in 153 countries, with approximately 800,000 active Vincentian volunteers. In the Omaha District, we are blessed to have 31 SSVP conferences with nearly 500 Vincentians – all continuing the mission of St. Vincent de Paul by following God’s call to “do the rest” in serving the poor, the suffering, and anyone in need.
I hope you enjoyed this brief historical “snapshot” of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. I would also like to personally invite you to consider attending a mass and reception on Tuesday, September 26th – here at our Holy Family Center, 1715 Izard Street – celebrating the Feast Day of St. Vincent de Paul (see invitation later in this newsletter). We are aware that the 26th is one day prior to the actual feast day, although we are coinciding this mass and reception with a standing district council meeting.
The schedule for Tuesday, September 26 is:
5:30 pm – SSVP Omaha District Council Meeting
6:00 pm – Mass celebrating the Feast Day of St. Vincent de Paul
6:45/7:00 pm – Reception with refreshments for all attendees
Thank you, and may God bless you for all you do to help your neighbors in need.
Gratefully,
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Jill Lynch-Sosa
Executive Director
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ST. PETER'S SSVP CONFERENCE IS A LABOR OF LOVE | |
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Between 1:30 and 2:30 every Saturday afternoon, St. Peter Catholic Church’s Parish Hall comes to life. With between eight and twelve Vincentians staffing a variety of volunteer roles on any given Saturday, St. Peter’s SSVP Conference is a whirlwind of caring and compassionate service to neighbors in need.
Between 30 and 40 fellow Omahans living in St. Peter’s neighborhood come into the hall and are greeted warmly. As they register at the front table, they are asked what it is that brought them to St. Peters that day, and what they need.
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And, just what does St. Peter’s SSVP Conference offer them? Well, a LOT, including fresh produce and bakery items, nonperishable food, cleaning supplies, and personal care items, to name a few.
Of course, all of the neighbors who stop by St. Peter’s are struggling, financially. But there are also those who are there, as they’re about to be evicted, or they’ve received notice that their utilities will soon be shut off. St. Peter’s Vincentians, like Cindy Engelkamp, provides these often frantic neighbors with a soothing reassurance that she’s there to help.
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Cindy and other Vincentian volunteers meet – one-on-one – with each of these neighbors and begins the process to ensure that their back rent will get paid, or that their air conditioning will most assuredly remain “on."
In her interactions, Cindy is ever-mindful of the dual reason she’s there, and why both she and her husband, Kevin have been Vincentians for nearly 20 years, as she shares, “St. Peter is known for helping those in need in the neighborhood. Of course, we help neighbors with their pressing financial needs, but we also try to tend to their spiritual needs, as well to build relationships with them. It has been such a rewarding ministry.”
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Pausing for a moment from his volunteer duties, Vincentian, Virgil Gutierrez, takes a moment to share a reflection about the need for St. Peter’s SSVP Conference: “This has been an extraordinary experience to see the growth of our group. Over the years, more and more people in need have been showing up, requesting assistance, and trusting that we can help. And our conference has definitely responded.”
Virgil also reflects on how his involvement with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has helped him, both personally and spiritually, as he states “I am not naturally inclined to engage with people, and this has been a way for me to get out of my comfort zone to interact in the work of Christ, and to become a better person.
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"Providing services like the ones we offer allows me to show love in a way that is not natural and normal for me, but it helps me be who I want to be, and who I really am.”
Throughout the hour, the line of neighbors gets shorter as those served by St. Peter’s volunteers are provided what they need. As the clock nears 2:30 and there are just a few neighbors left in the room, Cindy Engelkamp shares, “We are proud of our St. Vincent de Paul conference, and all of the services we provide and relationships we have with these neighbors and with each other. In my mind, we as Catholics are called to serve the poor."
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Cindy shares a final reflection: "Personally, I love helping people. And, although this might sound silly, I really feel like my involvement with the Society and the opportunity to be of service is my calling…and my vocation.”
As the last neighbors leave Parish Hall – feeling cared for and in much better spirits than when they entered – clearly, the same can be said for all of St. Peter’s Vincentian volunteers.
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FEAST DAY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL - MASS & RECEPTION | |
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Please know you are cordially invited to attend a mass and reception – here at our Holy Family Center at 1715 Izard Street – celebrating the Feast Day of St. Vincent de Paul. Again, we know that the 26th is one day prior to the actual feast day, although we are coinciding this mass and reception with a standing district council meeting.
The schedule for Tuesday, September 26th is:
5:30 pm – SSVP Omaha District Council Meeting
6:00 pm – Mass celebrating the Feast Day of St. Vincent de Paul
6:45/7:00 pm – Reception with refreshments for all attendees
We hope to see you on Tuesday, September 26th!
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SALTIES & SWEETS
Each day, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul prepares and provides over 200 sack lunches to the homeless and others living in low-income "senior" living apartments. That equates to 25 family sized bags of ‘salties’ and 400 cookies or other sweets PER DAY.
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Right now, though, we're running extremely low on two items needed for these lunches: "Salties" (like potato chips, pretzels or similar items) and sweets (like cookies, granola bars, etc). We are nearly out of both, as donations of these items have recently dried up, due to increased needs and decreased donations. So, if you (or a group you're affiliated with) are able, we would be VERY grateful if you would consider donating salties or sweets to use in these lunches. Any amount would help!
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Donations can be made between from 9 - 11 am, Mondays-Fridays to the west end of our Holy Family Center, 1715 Izard Street. Just ring the doorbell of our YELLOW door and ask for Jeff. Thank you, in advance, for helping the Society feed our neighbors in need!
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SSVP PANTRY STILL IN NEED OF FOOD!
Each week, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul's food pantry serves more than 200 families, providing them with non-perishable and frozen food, as well as baked goods and fresh produce. Located at 2101 Leavenworth Street, the Pantry is only able to neighbors in need because caring people donate food items and/or make financial contributions. And, as you may be aware, donations to our pantry have been extraordinarily down this year.
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Although we appreciate receiving all types of food in donations, the Pantry is VERY much in need of the following items:
- Cereal
- Pasta Sauce
- Meal Kits
- Hearty Soups
- Cake Mixes
- Condiments (e.g. Ketchup, Mustard & Mayonnaise)
Will you please consider donating food to the Society’s Pantry right now?
You can bring your donations to our SSVP Food Pantry anytime between 9 am and noon, Mondays through Thursdays. In addition, if you belong to a church, civic group, business, etc, please encourage the members of your organization to conduct a non-perishable food drive, to benefit the Society of St. Vincent de Paul's food pantry. Thank you very much!
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
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The Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s “Garden Pantry” was founded ten years ago as a way to offer fresh produce to our neighbors in need who visit the SSVP Food Pantry. Each growing season, the Pantry Garden has volunteers – “Garden Angels” – whose hard work helps the garden’s vegetables to grow and flourish. This is certainly the case in 2023, as Pantry Garden Volunteer Coordinator, Pat Slaven, shares: “We have a lot of great volunteers this year, and many new ones, who are very enthusiastic and hardworking.”
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Because of the sustained care that our Garden Angels provide – along with fairly decent weather – this year’s garden has truly flourished. Pat continues: “We've been harvesting lots of peppers, tomatoes, eggplant and cucumbers. The rain has been both a blessing and a curse - we had weeds appear out of nowhere and have been working to keep them in check. However, the rain is always welcome.”
The results of this year’s hard work in the Pantry Garden have been amazing. To date, during this current growing season, volunteers have delivered 1,487 pounds of produce from the Pantry Garden to our adjacent SSVP Food Pantry, which was then given away. However, we can always use even more fresh produce to distribute to neighbors visiting the Pantry. So, if you have extra produce from your own garden, please feel free to donate it to the SSVP Food Pantry, anytime between 9 am and noon, Mondays through Thursdays. You can be assured that your donations will go to families who truly need them.
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Finally, if you belong to a group that is looking for a service project in early October, please know that the Pantry Garden could definitely be an option, as Pat shares, “We could use a couple volunteer groups to come in for a one-time session to help with garden clean-up. This is always a big job and we need as much help as we can get.”
If you would like to sign up your group to help “close down” this year’s Pantry Garden, please be in touch with Austin Bryant at volunteers@ssvpomaha.org.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
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Planning for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Omaha’s 19th Annual Winter Coat & Accessories Drive is well underway. Guided by co-chairs, Diane Mead and Jill Lynch-Sosa, a working group of volunteers has been meeting regularly, in anticipation of the “giveaway” event – to be held from 8 am – 1 pm on Saturday, November 4th at the Omaha Home for Boys, 4343 North 52nd Street.
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Historically, we have helped well over 2,000 people – children and adults – by giving them a new or gently used winter coat, along with related winter weather items, such as hats, gloves, mittens, and scarves. And our goal is to increase that number. As you might imagine, this endeavor is incredibly important for our neighbors who may have hit a “rough patch in the road," financially, such that they cannot afford to buy a coat for their children or themselves.
We are currently in the process of “getting the word out” to churches, schools, businesses, and other organizations to either help provide coats and winter weather accessories…or to share information with neighbors in need who may wish to attend the event.
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Later this month we will be sending additional information regarding the Winter Coat and Accessories Drive and Giveaway, including how YOU can help out. Until then, though, we do have one request....
If you are associated with a business that is interested in being a corporate sponsor of the 2023 Winter Coat & Accessories Drive and Giveaway, please contact SSVP Omaha’s Executive Director, Jill Lynch-Sosa at executivedirector@ssvpomaha.org or at 402-779-8499, extension 101. We are very interested in securing corporate sponsorship for this event, and Jill would be very grateful to discuss this possibility with you.
Again, please keep a lookout for subsequent information, as we finalize details for the 2023 Winter Coat & Accessories Drive and Giveaway.
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VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION EVENT | |
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Here at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Omaha, we are blessed to have upwards of 200 volunteers who serve in our Thrift Stores, Pantry and at Holy Family – which includes our Sack Lunch & Closet Door Programs. As a small token of our gratitude to these volunteers, the Society held an appreciation event on Sunday, August 20th at The Flight Deck. With over 70 people in attendance, the event included refreshments, snacks and an SSVP-themed cake. A periodic raffle and trivia contest added to the fun, encouraging everyone to get to know and chat with each other.
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While our staff continues to receive words of thanks from those who attended this event, we just want to reiterate how grateful the Society is for ALL of our volunteers – Vincentians and non-Vincentians, alike – whose selfless dedication in serving our neighbors in need is both remarkable and inspiring. Our gratitude for this commitment and dedication, demonstrated by our committed volunteers every day of the year, is exactly what our organization’s namesake, St. Vincent de Paul, was referring to in one of his more well-known quotes: “Don’t think it’s a small thing to be devoted to the relief of those in distress.”
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We couldn’t have said it better, except to say thanks and may God bless all of our volunteers! And, we look forward to celebrating our Vincentians at the Feast Day mass and end of year breakfast! | |
SUPPORTS/JOISTS REPAIRS UPDATE | |
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In a recent letter sent to friends of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Jill shared the results of a “facility audit” of our Holy Family building, performed by a local engineering firm. The audit had uncovered the fact that – years prior – termites had destroyed a number of wooden supports and joists in our basement. And, even though the termites were completely eradicated, the damage had been done. The engineers made it clear that these structural wooden supports were dangerously compromised and simply had to be repaired and reinforced.
Even though we hadn’t planned on undertaking such a project – nor budgeted for the $15,000 associated cost – we did move forward with this work (see photo of one segment of the completed project). Please know how grateful we are to everyone who has sent financial gifts, to help the Society cover this unanticipated expenditure, as well as to all of our donors. Frankly, it is only because of the collective generosity of each and every one of our donors that we’re able to fulfill our mission of serving those most in need from right here in our Omaha community.
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RECURRING GIFTS HELP EVERYONE | |
More and more donors support the critical work of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul through recurring, monthly gifts. Recurring gifts make charitable giving more convenient for donors and helps them budget for their philanthropic giving. It also assures the Society of having stable funding, year-round.
Please click the DONATE NOW button below to access our secure, online giving form. If you would like to make your gift automatically recur monthly, just select Recurring Donation under the Type of Donation heading.
You can make your gift via credit card, debit card, or even through a bank account. If you need assistance with setting up a recurring donation, please call us at 402-779-8499, extension 109. Austin would be more than happy to help you!
Thank you for considering making your gift recurring!
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