The economic crisis has challenged everyone to re-evaluate their lives and decide what’s truly important to them. And while “cutting back” on things like eating out or buying a new pair of shoes seems like an obvious answer to the average person, it leaves little room for the homeless and working poor in our country and here in Arizona.
The lack of resources among struggling families to buy food is a nationwide problem. As unemployment and food prices rose in 2008, the recession sent the nation into a downward spiral leaving millions of people below the federal poverty line.
Today, St. Vincent de Paul responds to more and more requests for assistance from families, many of whom have never before asked for help. From a small business owner who couldn’t meet payroll to a retired married couple who couldn’t pay their utility bill, anyone is susceptible to financial struggles. What’s more chilling are the countless men, women and children facing money shortages and food hardship right in our own backyard.
Teetering toward homelessness, these are the people stretching their money as far as possible and living paycheck-to-paycheck. With news of layoffs, budget cuts and home foreclosures hitting closer to home each and every day, the homeless and working poor are running out of options in their struggle for survival. So where do they turn?
St. Vincent de Paul Offers Answers
For nearly 65 years, St. Vincent de Paul has been a caring friend to those in need. However, in the last year St. Vincent de Paul has seen an influx of people in need of a nourishing meal, financial assistance, medical and dental care, or a bed to sleep in at Ozanam Manor.
With more than 90 cents of every dollar going directly to fund food programs and other services for the poor, St. Vincent de Paul is providing a hopeful alternative to those who need it most.
Food and Meal Programs
Armed with a powerhouse food bank that serves communities throughout Arizona, St. Vincent de Paul is able to help alleviate hunger among many individuals and families. The Society’s Food Reclamation Center collects and processes over nine million pounds of food from local grocery stores and community food drives a year. And with one of the largest industrial kitchens in the state and five charity dining rooms, St. Vincent de Paul provides more than 1.1 million hot meals to the homeless and working poor each year.
Conference Services
Another avenue St. Vincent de Paul uses to alleviate immediate hunger among individuals and families is through its Conferences of Charity. Made up of over 6,000 members and nearly 90 parishes, this community network of volunteers is the true heartbeat of St. Vincent de Paul; they experience firsthand the breadth of need in communities throughout central and northern Arizona.
Last year, more than $8.6 million in direct aid went to needy families and individuals for rent and utility assistance, preventing many of them from becoming homeless. With 51,525 home visits and 340,274 emergency food boxes distributed, the conferences of St. Vincent de Paul are changing lives every day. Its members are touched in ways they never thought possible by those they serve. Often, the Vincentian volunteers are moved to respond to the needs they see in unexpected ways.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this blog post to hear a few stories of those St. Vincent de Paul has helped.
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