Between March 17-April 30, 2020, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has impacted the lives of close to 35,000 individuals throughout the City of Houston and its surrounding counties: Austin, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Harris, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Walker and Waller.
The phone calls to the central helpline have been ringing non-stop. To try to help the most people possible, the Society launched their online help form. Since March 17, they have had 2,302 calls for help. The calls vary in requests, but most ask for food, partial rent or utility assistance. The Society is currently averaging a minimum of 52 calls per day.
The Society's Food Network Program has also recorded 28,883 individuals served through their parish-based food pantries and the food fairs held at the Vincentian Service Center. The number also includes children served through the Food Network's added Child Nutrition Program. In total, the Food Network has distributed 356,344 pounds of food.
Vincentians have also been working nonstop. As of April 30, they have completed 752 virtual Home Visits to provide financial assistance to families-in-need. The virtual Home Visits resulted in securing shelter and utilities for 2,373 individuals. In total, the Home Visit Program has distributed $152,102 in financial assistance.
The Society expects to see numbers rise in the next few weeks, but are hopeful that the community will come together to support their efforts in helping those most in need. If you would like to support the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, donate to their Emergency Fund.
About the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP): The Society is a faith-based, non-profit organization helping families living in poverty in the greater Galveston-Houston area since 1871. We are a network of 58 parish-based chapters with over 1,800 Vincentian volunteers actively doing Home Visits every day. Next year, the Society will celebrate 150 years of service to the poor. For more information, please contact our Director of Development at development@svdphouston.org.