LOOKING FOR HELP? GO TO THE SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT de PAUL
If you, or someone you know is in need of emergency financial aid or food, please call the St. Julia Parish office at 781.899.2611 x 4 or email here. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) serves neighbors who live, work or go to school in Lincoln or Weston, regardless of their religious affiliation. We are here for you and want to help!
To make a direct donation to support the ministry of SVdP of Lincoln and Weston, please click here.
For more information, please go to the SVdP website: www.svdplincolnweston.org
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WHO WE ARE
We are members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP), St. Joseph Conference. We strive to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to neighbors in need. We are part of a worldwide Catholic lay organization whose mission is to end poverty.
Mission Statement
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Joseph Conference, is a Catholic non-profit organization serving those in our midst, who are in need of food or emergency assistance, or who are seeking guidance about availability of other resources.
We believe in putting compassion into action and working on systemic change; we offer person-to-person service to our clients, regardless of their religious affiliation or background. We collaborate with other people of good will in relieving need and addressing its causes. Our food pantry is central to reaching the goal that nobody in our community should face hunger or food insecurity.
The essential elements of the Society are spirituality, friendship, and service. We aspire to live the gospel message and to grow spiritually by serving Christ in our neighbors in need with love, respect, hope, and joy, and by working to shape a more just and compassionate society.
VIEW OUR ANNUAL REPORT
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OUR SERVICES
Food Pantry
The food pantry is located behind St. Joseph Church at 142 Lincoln Rd, Lincoln MA. Our clients can choose from a large variety of non-perishable items, paper goods, bakery items, as well as refrigerated and frozen foods. In addition we provide lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. The Food Pantry is open twice a month. In December 2021 we served 112 households, 295 clients at the food pantry. We give out approximately 11,000 pounds of food every month. Even though a considerable amount of food comes from the Greater Boston Food Bank, we are very grateful for the much-needed donations we receive from parishioners of our parish and members of the Weston and Lincoln communities. Donelan’s in Lincoln, Panera and Nashoba Brooks Bakery donate bread and bakery items, and First Parish in Lincoln, the Food Project and Land’s Sake donate vegetables to us.
Emergency Financial Help
We give emergency financial help to client families and individuals. Financial support is usually targeted to cover rent or utility payments, heating oil, car insurance and repairs, or medications. We visit clients at their home, make personal connections, offer support, gather information, and work with them to determine how we can help stabilize and improve their situation. We also provide referrals to other agencies as needed.
Holiday Meals and Gifts
• Thanksgiving: We provide client families all the ingredients necessary for cooking a complete Thanksgiving meal.
• Christmas: Our clients may receive grocery store gift cards so they can prepare a festive meal of their choice. Gift cards are especially appreciated by our clients.
• Christmas Giving:
Thanks to the incredible generosity of our parishioners, we provided Christmas gifts and gift cards to 94 children of our client families in 2021.
Education Scholarships and School Supplies
Our conference is very fortunate to receive the ongoing support of the Ogden Codman Trust. In addition to funds for financial emergency assistance we get yearly grants for our scholarship fund which covers educational costs, including support for adults for further education and job training, scholarships and books.
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LOOKING TO GET INVOLVED?
Volunteer Your Time
SVdP is a team made up of 18 conference members and over 40 community volunteers. We are always looking for new members who have a passion for serving others and like being part of a hands-on team. If you are interested in learning about volunteer opportunities, please call the St. Julia Parish office at 781.899.2611 x 4 or email here.
Donate to the Pantry
All non-perishable food items are gratefully accepted. We often need cereals, pasta sauce, and Progresso Soup. Toiletries, paper goods and cleaning supplies are also always needed.
Drop-Off Locations for Food Donations:
• St. Julia Church, Weston: Donations can be left at the back of St. Julia Church or in the Parish Center (between 9am and 4pm weekdays).
• St. Joseph Church, Lincoln: Donations can be can be left on the back porch of the old rectory right behind St. Joseph Church, 142 Lincoln Rd. Lincoln, MA
• Donelan’s Lincoln: If you just bought items there to donate, you can deposit them directly into the SVdP collection barrel near the registers.
Make a Monetary Donation
SVdP relies heavily on our communities’ generous donations. Donations are tax-deductible and go directly to serving our neighbors in need. Your monetary donation is tax-deductible (EIN # is 900637051).
Your gift can be submitted in three ways:
(1) Donate Now to SVdP, at our secure website
(2) By check: Payable to St. Vincent de Paul, (not St. Julia Parish!) and mail to: SVdP, PO Box 324, Lincoln MA 01773
(3) Drop into the church box: at the back of our churches, boxes labelled ‘SVdP Donations’
It is because of your generosity that SVdP is able to do this essential work of serving our neighbors in need. Thank you!
For more information, please go to the SVdP website: www.svdplincolnweston.org
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Gallery of Photos (Above top to bottom):
SVdP teams up with local farms; SVdP fundraiser walk; inside SVdP’s pantry and food donations; Thanksgiving donations and faith formation volunteers; a high school student volunteer during our local food drive; the food pantry building; blessing/unveiling of the new pantry in 2018 with Ursula Nowak, Karen Boyce.
