Our Lady of Grace Vincentians: homelessness

Showing posts with label homelessness. Show all posts

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Call for Sponsors: Join Our "Circle of Angels"

On September 24, 2011, Our Lady of Grace Conference, Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, will join with hundreds of other Vincentians and friends across the United States as we take our first steps in the Friends of the Poor ® Walk to raise awareness in our community about the poor and funds to support our works of charity. Walkers will take donation pledges to help the poor. We also need a “Circle of Angels” to sponsor this event and its costs. Can you or someone you know help?

Thursday, May 19, 2011

West Sacramento Partners

Our Lady of Grace Conference is affiliated with the newly formed West Sacramento Partners.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Holiday Donation Opportunities

Throughout the holidays, we will try to keep you posted on charitable donation opportunities for the poor and homeless. These will be posted under the NEWS & UPDATES section, above.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Fighting Poverty

On this web page, we've created a new area. called "Fighting Poverty," for links that relate in general to the issue of poverty. Our first link is PovertyUSA, the site sponsored by the U.S. Catholic Bishops.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Homelessness: Update

Information from West Sacramento Press story, April 22, 2009, re 2009 homeless survey:

237 total homeless in West Sacramento. 16 were families with children: 26 of the children were under age of 18.

West Sacramento population of homeless men about DOUBLE that of Woodland (137 to 75).

92 more homeless in West Sacramento than 2007.

Homeless in West Sacramento NOT in shelters jumped from 107 to 201.

Resources:
Homeless and Poverty Action Coalition, Janice Critchlow, 924-0534
Housing and Community Investment, West Sacramento, Louise Collis, 617-4555
West Sacramento, Police Department Liaison, Lt. David Delaini, 617-4912

Friday, April 10, 2009

April Intention: Lenten Alms

In his Lenten Message, Pope Benedict Calls for Prayer and Action.

Pope Benedict offers two intentions every month, one general, and one for a particular Catholic missionary activity.

John Knight, president of the St. Vincent de Paul location at St. John the Baptist Church on Montrose Drive [FOLSOM], said his organization has also seen an average 25 percent increase in people coming in for food and clothing.

Knight said his group used to see 450 people coming in for help every month, but now sometimes sees up to 800 people every month.

“Most of the people coming in are from right within the Folsom boundaries,” he said.

Full story, click here.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Homeless Count

(from Yolo County press release) The Yolo County Homeless & Poverty Action Coalition (HPAC) is conducting a point-in-time street count of the homeless on Jan. 29, 2009. The count will occur from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and will include a survey component. The count is a collaborative effort of community volunteers, including homeless and formerly homeless individuals, and HPAC member and partner agencies.

Full story (click here)

Friday, November 14, 2008

Economic Downturn Affects Charities

With the failing economy, the needs of the poor increase.

"In Vallejo, Rene Perryman, past president of the St. Vincent de Paul conference at St Basil Parish and current board member of Catholic Social Service-Solano, notes that in the past two years, the St Basil conference made about 30 food deliveries to households each month. Now the conference averages 30 deliveries a week."

from the Catholic Herald:

Click here for full story.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Homelessness: the Cry of the Poor

On Sunday (June 29) there was a second meeting for new parish ministries. A concern for the homeless was identified as a parish concern and possible new ministry. Persons interested in working on a parish ministry for the homeless have expanded the work group. They are: Carolyn Tagupa (co-chair), Clo Holland (co-chair), Michelle Panos (coordinator), John Archuleta, Paul Starkey, Torry Powers, and Carl Ponciano. If you are interested, you may join the group. The group is looking into the issue of homelessness and, as a project of OLG SVDP, we will prepare a report about the needs of the homeless in the West Sacramento area for the parish council. The report will be presented to the parish council at the August 5 meeting.

The work group is meeting on July 6, after the 10:30 a.m. mass, at the Rectory to discuss issues and put together the report. If you want to participate in the working group, or if you just want to attend the discussion, let Carolyn Tagupa know.

At the new ministries meeting, Sr. Pearl talked about our “mission” as Catholics given at baptism: we are called, like Christ, to be priests, prophets, and kings (shepherds).

When we were baptized, we were also anointed and given a participation in these three offices of Christ — priest, prophet and king. As the celebrant anointed us with Sacred Chrism, he prayed: "As Christ was anointed Priest, Prophet, and King, so may you live always as a member of his body, sharing everlasting life" (Ritual, no. 98). And the Catechism echoes this reality in these words: "The whole People of God participates in these three offices of Christ and bears the responsibilities for mission and service that flow from them" (no. 783). http://www.catholicherald.com/loverde/2004homilies/homily0205.htm

Each of these roles has several aspects. We were asked to think about the new proposed ministries from the perspective of our “mission” at baptism. From my notes, here is a short summary. As Catholics by baptism we have this mission:

Priest. The priest mediates between God and His people; the priest also mediates between members of the Body of Christ, helping to create community. In the role of priest, we spread the Word of God. Do we seek to form community?

Prophet. The prophet is witness to the Truth; and because we must be that kind of witness, we are called to be the prophet who calls to account “the powers that be.” It is said that the prophet “afflicts the comfortable and comforts the afflicted.” Are we witnesses to the truth?

King. This may be thought of as the role of shepherd. The shepherd-king guides the sheep; protects them. The shepherd gathers the flock, gathers the lost. Are we shepherds, or are we too busy?

Concerning the homeless, certainly we are called as priests to recognize the homeless as a community and part of our community, although they are often outside the doors. As shepherds, we know that we need to gather the homeless, to protect them. The homeless are our modern day “lost sheep.” As prophets, we know in our hearts that homelessness is disorder. It is a symptom of a society that has turned its back on the least fortunate. To the extent the homeless are ignored and shunned, we must be prophets. In a very real sense, the homeless are prophets to us, to afflict us in our comfort.

As Vincentians, we are called to meet Christ in the poor. In the homeless, we may find that unexpected meeting.

1.2 The Vincentian Vocation (from the Rule)

The vocation of the Society's members, who are called Vincentians, is to follow Christ through service to those in need and so bear witness to His compassionate and liberating love. Members show their commitment through person-to-person contact. Vincentians serve in hope.

Commentary. Belonging to a Conference is a vocation in itself: a vocation of personal contact with Christ in the Poor. The predominant feature of this contact must always be compassion and the will to free people from their burdens: an effort to build the coming Kingdom. Personal contact with the suffering is the most obvious distinctive characteristic of the Vincentian ministry. We bring unconditional love to the poor and seek to love in the way Jesus loved, because "the first vocation of the Christian is to follow Jesus” (CCC2232 )."Vincentians serve in hope". What air is to the lungs, so is hope to the human spirit. We have a real hope that our work will make a difference, both in the lives of those we visit and in a mysterious way, in the world at large. If we go through difficulties, we remember that "(hope) affords us joy even under trial" (CCC1820).