It is hard to imagine more difficult circumstances than those faced by this elderly woman. Not only was she soon to be homeless, but as an illegal, she would face great difficulty in finding a permanent home, medical care, and basic necessities. While the woman had supportive family in her home country willing to receive her, they lived in a poor village with no means to finance the trip. The Smiths recognized that the situation was dire and turned to the parish for help. 

The woman's story was presented to our parish chapter of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. In the words of its founder, Blessed Frederic Ozanam, the Society's vision is "to embrace the world in a network of charity". This woman's situation presented an excellent opportunity for our Society to both help a needy person in our midst and extend our parish's network of charity to a poor foreign country.  The Smiths opened their home to the woman during preparations to return to her homeland, while donations to St. Vincent de Paul provided financial assistance for both the trip back and reestablishment in her home village. 

Since the woman's return to her homeland, continued donations from our parish members have helped drill a well in the village that now provides water not only for her needs, but those of many others in her village. Her daughter has graduated from college and the family is well on the way to self sufficiency. 

The Smiths in the story above saw an opportunity in our community to perform social ministry, and by bringing that opportunity to the attention of our St. Vincent de Paul service committee, they unlocked additional resources to help with the project. At the same time they provided our entire parish with an opportunity to help make a true difference in the lives of many people. 

Our parish SVdP Christian Service Committee is a small group charged to be good stewards of the money entrusted to it by parishioners.  This group relies on the community for more than its finances; we also need fresh ideas from the thousands of parishioners who witness need in day to day life. Even if you are not in a position to take as active a role in a project as the family in the story above, your tip could still make a difference. 

If you see NEED in our community and think our parish's social ministry network may be able to help, consider presenting the idea at a meeting of our St. Vincent de Paul Society. Please begin by contacting Scott Wright, St. Francis Social Ministry director, at 821-2121.