What we do.
Through the generosity of the people of south Mississippi our conferences are able to distribute food and provide financial assistance to help families meet the basic needs of people struggling to make a fresh start.
Working through 20 local conferences last year Vincentians spent 9,266 hours of service in helping our neighbors in need. We helped 13,914 people in Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Forrest, Jones, and Stone Counties, providing $395,116 in direct assistance offering food, help with rent and utilities, and medical and dental aid.
Vincentians visit our needy neighbors in their homes and help prevent homelessness through rental assistance and help with utility bills.
Home visits are the basis of the Society. We currently have 160 Vincentians actively involved in providing help to those in need in south Mississippi.
Vincentians provide for the needy:
- Home Visits
Visits to families requesting assistance - Food Pantry
Available for immediate food needs - We Care
Monthly food baskets for the needy - Homeless
Help prepare meals/personal hygiene kits for homeless shelters - Nursing Homes
Visits to residents - Homebound
Visits to shut-ins - Financial Assistance:
Help with bills – heating, rent, prescriptions, etc. - Vouchers
For hot meals, lodging, gasoline, bus fare - Transportation
Help with transportation for the elderly, or those stranded - Housing
Assist in obtaining permanent housing, finding contractors for needed repairs - Medical Care
Assist in getting needed medical care - Prison Ministry
Prison visits, comfort of families of those in prison - The Unemployed
help finding job openings, resume preparation - Pallbearers
For funerals of the poor and for small families - Disaster Relief
Distribution center for relief supplies, Meals on Wheels vehicle for disaster area - Prayer with Clients
Bringing spiritual comfort to those hurting - Spiritual Activities
Conference-sponsored parish devotional activities, such as Rosaries, Stations of the Cross, etc. - Thrift Store
Operates a thrift store in Pascagoula - Hospice
Volunteering to provide hospice care - Youth
Youth Groups that perform Vincentian activities - Referrals:
Refer clients to professional agencies or charities that deal in special areas of need - Special Projects
For more information of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, visit our national website www.svdpusa.org
Mission
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Diocesan Council of Biloxi, MS, is part of a worldwide organization of lay Catholic men and women who are committed to live and grow in their Christian faith through prayer and personal involvement in charitable works. The Society’s mission is accomplished through parish and community-based groups called Conferences (volunteers) and programs called “Special Works.” The Society’s work includes any actions that promote the dignity of the person, alleviate suffering and distress, while correcting the conditions that cause them.
Vision
“No Act of Charity is Foreign to the Society.”
Motto of the Society