The Society of St Vincent de Paul, St. Ignatius Loyola Conference (SVdP), formed in February 2021, began taking calls from neighbors in need in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. We provide assistance to neighbors in the Arden Arcade and surrounding areas who are unable to meet their needs. The conference is primarily funded through individual donations and is fully staffed by volunteers. Since inception, we have grown from a group of 12 to an organization of more than 30 members, called Vincentians. St Vincent de Paul has responded to over 5,000 calls for help, providing 3,000 households with financial assistance and referrals to essential community resources such as food, shelter, and employment.
Friends of the Poor
The cornerstone of the Friends of the Poor Program is the prompt and compassionate response to the people who call us for help. In many cases, we visit the caller’s home to learn more about their situation and how we might help. We spend time with the neighbor, listening and asking questions about what they need and why the crisis arose. Financial assistance provided is primarily for rent to prevent eviction and for utilities to prevent service disconnection. We also provide clothing, furniture, and household goods from the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store. In addition, a small percentage of funds are used for vehicle fuel to help with transportation to work and school. Such aid, even in small amounts, can make or break whether someone falls deeper into the poverty cycle.
Break the Cycle
We supply bicycles to neighbors as
a cost-effective and reusable mode of transportation to help them commute to work and school. The Break the Cycle Program aims to change the trajectory of families by improving their access to pathways for economic stability. In the past 18 months, the Break the Cycle Program has helped more than 100 people and has been essential for recent refugees arriving in Sacramento who are looking to start their lives in a new country.
STEP2Work: Support to Engage Pathways to Work
By supporting our neighbors on the path to stable, full-time employment, STEP2Work a
ddresses a root cause of poverty. STEP2Work is a new effort that aims to place individuals into already existing programs that provide critical job skills training. They receive financial assistance and mentoring to obtain employment that will sustain them and their families, hopefully preventing them from needing assistance from organizations like SVdP.