Tag: Vincent

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the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, District Council of Madison

Grants offer food pantry workers shelter

MADISON — The generosity of the Madison Community Foundation (MCF) and other major donors means that staff and volunteers at the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry in Madison are finding shelter from the worst of what Wisconsin winter doles out, even as they continue to serve drive-through clients outdoors.

Helpful support

In November, the Madison Community Foundation awarded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul a $12,500 grant to support winter outdoor food distribution in order to meet pandemic safety requirements.

To protect all involved in distributing much-needed food, the St. Vincent de Paul Pantry has been operating on a drive-through basis since March 16.

“Madison Community Foundation is proud to support the critical work of St. Vincent de Paul and other major food pantries during this pandemic, explained Tom Linfield, Madison Community Foundation vice president.

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Catholic Herald Staff

St. Vincent de Pauls Recycle the Warmth drive is ‘pandemic style’ this year

MADISON — “Need help with clothing and blankets. We lost everything since we were homeless for six months.”

Pleas like this are the reason the Society of St. Vincent de Paul will conduct its 29th annual Recycle the Warmth Blanket Drive the weekend of January 29 to 31.

“This important annual drive allows St. Vincent de Paul to collect blankets and other bedding to be given to Dane County residents in need throughout the coming year,” said Ernie Stetenfeld, executive director and CEO.

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the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Madison

Families in need find Christmas cheer at St. Vincent de Paul ‘Little Drummer’ drive-thru

MADISON — Sometimes, drive-thru service can be a little impersonal, even cheerless.

This year, Madison-area St. Vincent de Paul Society members took a festive annual event curbside to help make Christmas brighter for hundreds of children from local households in need.

Yearly event

Each December, St. Vincent de Paul Society member groups, known as “conferences,” from Dane County parishes work together as the Society’s District Council of Madison to provide gifts for the children of families the conferences served during the year through a “Little Drummer” event.

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Kevin Wondrash

St. Vincent de Paul serving during pandemic

MADISON — Adapting how it serves, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul-Madison continues to help thousands of Dane County neighbors in need each week, even in the throes of the coronavirus pandemic.

At the Society’s Madison service center, the large and busy St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry and Wisconsin’s only free pharmacy have both adapted to observe guidelines to help protect the health of all involved while assisting large numbers of people coping with poverty.

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Jane Lepeska Grinde, Catholic Herald Correspondent

International Vincentian leader visits Madison

MADISON — “Spirituality, friendship, and service,” the essential elements of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, clearly exuded from Renato Lima de Oliveira, the international president general of the society during an interview at the Middlecamp Center for Vincentian Charity here.

The first Brazilian to hold the high office was warm and friendly and full of gratitude for the work of the society volunteers in the Diocese of Madison.

Holding a copy of the February 6 Catholic Herald with Bishop Donald J. Hying’s column on the “Life and Legacy of Blessed Frederic Ozanam,” Lima de Oliveira said he was grateful to the bishop, who has been a Vincentian for 20 years and is advocating for the sainthood of the founder.

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Kevin Wondrash

Society of St. Vincent de Paul holds 28th annual Recycle the Warmth blanket drive

MADISON — For good health, school or work success, and general well-being, the warmth and comfort of a good night’s sleep matters to everyone.

But not everyone in our community has a clean, warm blanket to call his or her own this winter, so the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Madison is holding its 28th annual Recycle the Warmth blanket drive to collect thousands of donated new and gently used clean blankets and other bedding.

The blankets and bedding will be given away to families or individuals living in low-income households in Dane County.

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Kevin Wondrash

Scholarship Shower supports St. Vincent de Paul youth program

MADISON — The Madison St. Vincent de Paul Youth Service Council (YSC) has developed a unique scholarship program — one that contributes $1,000 to further education or training for a graduating student eligible to receive free/reduced lunch. It also supports the student’s family via rent credit and grocery store gift cards.

“After participating in a poverty simulation, YSC members realized the importance of supporting the student’s family, too,” explained Gayle Westfahl, advisor of the group.

“Removing the student from the household to focus on school might mean the family does not have the student’s income to help with bills nor their assistance with caring for siblings or older relatives. If a student knows that their continuing study also supports the family a bit, he/she might be more inclined to pursue long-term educational goals.”

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Kevin Wondrash

Society of St. Vincent de Paul holds 27th annual Recycle the Warmth blanket drive

MADISON — For good health, school or work success, and general well-being, the warmth and comfort of a good night’s sleep matters to everyone.

But not everyone in our community has a clean, warm blanket to call his or her own this winter, so the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Dane County is holding its 27th annual Recycle the Warmth blanket drive to collect thousands of donated new and gently used clean blankets and other bedding to give away to families or individuals living in low-income households.

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Kevin Wondrash

St. Vincent de Paul Youth Service Council raising funds for new scholarship

MADISON — Last year, the Madison St. Vincent de Paul Youth Service Council (SVdP YSC), comprised of Dane County high school students from numerous parishes, designed, funded, and awarded its very own scholarship.

This year, the group is looking to repeat its efforts.

Understanding that not every family has the resources to support post-secondary education, the $1,000 scholarship is intended to assist a student who receives free/reduced lunch and desires to continue their education following graduation.

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