MEADOW HOMES — The Society of St. Vincent De Paul in Vancouver operates with the help of many dedicated volunteers and the support of four local Catholic parishes: St. Joseph, Holy Redeemer, Our Lady of Lourdes, and The Proto-Cathedral of St. James the Greater.
Their 2021 holiday programs served families with 926 special Thanksgiving and Christmas meal boxes, and provided Christmas gifts to 911 children in 316 families. The four parishes, along with the KPTV-Les Schwab Toy Drive, Madeline’s Helpful Heart Toy Drive, and a toy drive at St. Joseph Catholic Church, helped them collect more than 3,000 toys and gifts for Christmas 2021. Seton Catholic High School provided significant assistance by safely distributing the toys and gifts.
During their most recent fiscal year, ending Sept. 30, the Vancouver Society of St. Vincent De Paul distributed more than 450 tons of food, valued at nearly $1.5 million. This included more than 12,500 visits to the distribution pantry for regular weekday food box pickup; members also assisted more than 5,000 people with donated clothing and household items.
In addition to food and clothing services, the society was able to assist 684 families with rent, emergency shelter vouchers and utility payments, provided transportation assistance to 163 households, and served 818 families with other needs. The total of these services for the last fiscal year was over half a million dollars.
