St. Vincent De Paul Helps The Fight Against Hunger In Arizona

By Author: Steve Zabilski
Total Articles: 10
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No matter who you are the recent economic crisis has challenged everyone to re-examine their lives and determine what's truly important to them. And as "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 Arizona and the rest of our country.

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 has been a caring friend to those in need for nearly 65 years. 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 donations 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.

Struggling Families, Veterans and Flood Victims

Angelica and her family are guests at the St. Vincent de Paul Family Evening Meal. With four children and a husband working evening shifts, she didn't have a lot of options before coming to St. Vincent de Paul.

"I didn't have anywhere else to go," she said. "But St. Vincent de Paul helps our family save money and we get to enjoy eating together every night. It's the only place I've ever gone to for help."

Phil Miller, conference president of St. Philip Benizi in Black Canyon City, was on a routine home visit with his wife to a mobile home. After delivering an emergency food box to Mike, a handicapped Vietnam veteran, Phil noticed the condition of his shoes. Riddled with holes and ripped almost in half, Phil asked what size he wore. When Mike said he was a size 10, Phil slipped off his own shoes and handed them over without a second thought.

"I didn't know when I woke up that day that I would literally give the shoes off my own two feet," he explained. "But when you see someone who served our country in need of something as basic as shoes, you're compelled to act. It's what you do."

When rain flooded the small town of Wenden, AZ, located about 100 miles northwest of Phoenix, hundreds of families were displaced and left stranded without any resources. The St. Vincent de Paul Sacred Heart Conference in Parker, Ariz., was there to help. Everything from emergency food boxes to bedding were delivered to those in need.

"In our efforts, we traveled over 800 miles, contributed nearly 1,000 volunteer hours and served 360 families," said Helen Warner, Sacred Heart conference president. "We were overwhelmed that so many people came together to help."

Article Source: Helpingthepoor.org