Society of St. Vincent de Paul
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a Christian voluntary organisation, working with poor and disadvantaged people.
Inspired by our principal founder, Frederic Ozanam, and our patron, St. Vincent de Paul, we seek to respond to the call every Christian receives to bring the love of Christ to those in need: “I was hungry and you gave me food” (Matthew 25). No work of charity is foreign to the Society.
We are involved in a diverse range of activities characterised by:
Support and friendship
Through person-to-person contact, we are committed to respecting the dignity of those we assist and fostering self-respect. We assure confidentiality at all times and endeavour to establish relationships based on trust and friendship.
Promoting self-sufficiency
It is not enough to provide short term material support. Those we assist are also helped to achieve self-sufficiency in the longer term and the sense of self-worth this provides. When problems are beyond our competence, we enlist the support of specialised help.
Working for social justice
We are committed to identifying the root causes of poverty and social exclusion in Ireland and, in solidarity with poor and disadvantaged people, to advocate and work for the changes required to create a more just and caring society.
About The SVP
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a direct service non-profit organisation whose work primarily involves person-to-person contact with people who have a variety of needs. In addition to direct assistance, we try to promote self-sufficiency, enabling people to help themselves.
Any assistance offered by the Society is given in a non-judgemental spirit of compassion, based on the need of the individual or family.
A key strength of SVP is in the personalised delivery of help which makes it unique in its role as a charitable organisation. We accept people as they are and try to create a caring, non-threatening environment, respecting the dignity of those who seek our help. We only offer advice when it is asked for, and do not believe in telling people what they should do. Our aim is to maintain the dignity of the individual and to promote long-term self-sufficiency. We do so by treating people with respect, while endeavouring to build a relationship of friendship, trust and confidentiality.
While we act as a short-term safety net for those who fall outside the care of the Welfare State or need emergency financial support, we try to embrace those who are marginalised by helping them to rekindle their self-respect and sense of worth. Our Mission is also to rectify the causes of poverty which perpetuate the problems faced by those we work with.
Personal contact between the SVP volunteers and individuals or families in need is a hallmark of the work of the Society. Home visitation to families, carried out in strict confidence has always been the core work of the Society.
Conferences, which are the basic unit of the Society, also carry out visitation to hospitals and prisons.
Society of St. Vincent de Paul Relaunched In Delvin
Here in Delvin the local conference of SVP has just been re-launched. The Conference of the Assumption, is responding to the needs of the Delvin area with a team of trained volunteers who are available to help and respond with sensitivity and in upmost confidentiality.
To contact SVP in Delvin, please call 086 107 1112.
