St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal 2025

St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal 2025

Every week members of our parishes’ St Vincent de Paul Society Conference fan out through North Melbourne, Collingwood and locally to provide financial assistance to those in need and an attentive ear to the lonely.  In addition to our extensive home visitation program, our Conference members volunteer their time to work in Vinnies’ stores in both Hawthorn and East Kew together with assisting in the distribution of food from Vinnies’ Soup Vans.

The funds upon which the Society’s good works depend rely in large part upon our Parish community’s generosity, and our annual Winter Appeal is a major source of funding that we apply directly to the material benefit of our companions in need.

A unique feature of the Society’s structure is the control that each Conference exercises over the delivery of its charitable works and their funding.  The result is that our Conference members have a high degree of autonomy over the allocation of our resources, meaning that any money donated efficiently reaches those in need.  Significantly, our members’ weekly home visits and accompanying written reports are reviewed and discussed at our monthly meetings so that we become particularly familiar with special needs of those in each of the communities that we serve – further ensuring that the assistance we provide is targeted to best effect.

What follows are a few typical examples, taken from our home visitors’ written reports, appropriately edited to protect the identity and dignity of our companions in need.

RM – RM’s situation was dire.  She had been living in country Victoria and recently moved to public housing in Collingwood to escape apparent domestic violence. She and her 5-year-old son, suffering a debilitating form of autism, had little in their recently allocated housing commission unit other than a couple of worn mattresses (no bases), a fridge and a stool.  Assistance was arranged for the delivery of beds and bases, couches and chairs.  Immediate financial assistance for the purchase of food and clothing was also provided. RM was visibly moved.

NW – NW has two primary age children living with her both of whom attend a local Catholic school. NW had recently moved to public housing in Collingwood, a move prompted in part by her partner’s recent suicide.  Financial assistance provided for food and clothing.

FM – FM together with her 4 children, has recently moved into an unfurnished unit in Collingwood having previously been in emergency hotel accommodation.FM did not speak English and communicated with Vinnies’ visitors with the assistance of her 11-year-old son. Arrangements were made for the delivery of a queen size bed and base together with 4 single beds for the children, a dining table, 6 chairs and sofas.  In addition, immediate financial assistance was provided for food and clothing.

KM – KM was very distressed as we arrived (her ex-husband having left just beforehand – we saw him leave as we walked down the street). KM appeared somewhat affected by drugs (bong apparatus on the table) and was in a state of high anxiety. We managed with calm discussion to settle her after about 10 minutes. She advised that she now has a social worker RHEDS (Resourcing Health and Education in the Sex Industry). KM did make a sweeping reference to this, but she was a bit incoherent. Assistance given with food vouchers and Vinnies Store vouchers to purchase clothing.

RD – I first visited RD about 2 years ago. She and her partner have a boy (15) who is an Afghan refugee who fled Afghanistan when the Americans exited it, living with them. The boy came alone on a plane by himself leaving family behind. RD and her partner took the boy in, and he has lived with them since, and they have provided for him and his schooling/education. Over the past 2-3 months RD and her partner have been provided with significant financial assistance to cover rental and other costs. This has now ceased but left them with personal mortgage and financial stress. RD advised that their bank has provided them with some temporary relief and they have used all the available utility relief programs. She was quite stressed on several fronts. In lieu of assisting with any mortgage assistance, I asked if there was any other bills etc we could assist with. As they already have utility assistance and use pre-paid phones she said no. She was essentially worried about mortgage commitments when bank relief stops. Accordingly, we decided to be generous on other assistance for food and Vinnies cards.

MA – MA requested assistance to buy food, and we provided Coles vouchers. MA is a reformed heroin addict who has diverted his time and energy into looking after fresh and salt water tropical fish.  He keeps several pristinely maintained tanks of varying sizes in his unit. They are an attractively tranquil feature of his room.

TA -Last weekend we visited TA who had just moved into a small apartment. Other than his clothes and a TV, he didn’t have much else. We gave him vouchers and decided to order furniture, and to buy a small fridge because we judged that a no interest loan probably wasn’t an option. All this was complicated because he didn’t have a phone. He spoke warmly of a Sister Mary who was helping him. TA has managed to borrow a phone until the furniture is delivered.  (Note: a StVdeP member subsequently provided a superseded good working order phone which was delivered to TA the week after).

RC – I rang RC and after some discussion I agreed to take him to his Pharmacy to get his prescriptions as he had run out of all his medication. The pharmacy did not have any prescriptions on record for him, so we went next door to the medical centre and were able to get an appointment to see his doctor. Whilst waiting we also visited a watchmaker to have his watchband repaired and he called into the bank to enquire about his bank cards as he lost his wallet, and new cards have been ordered for him. After his appointment he had 10 prescriptions which we were able to obtain, and I paid for them as he has no money. The doctor is going to investigate some alternative living arrangements for him, and I had suggested he ring BASS Care for assistance which the doctor also thought a good option. I left him with the phone number for BASS. I stressed to him our role as emergency care givers and not a regular form of assistance.

RT – RT is currently living at the Pathfinder, paying $450 per week, and said he had no money, no food and he has limited mobility to get around. He has some nerve problems with his legs which requires him to stay in bed all day. He has a doctor’s appointment, but he wasn’t sure how he would get there. He does have a half price Cab Charge. We decided to do some shopping for him, so we went to Woolworth and spent nearly $50 on a card. He was very grateful when we returned, and he had rung the doctor while we were away, and the doctor was coming to visit him on Friday. Left him with Woolworths cards.

MG – MG has spent approx. 8 of the past 10 years in prison (quite serious offending) and has had a long-term drug dependency problem. He is currently out of work. He has very recently moved into one of the new high rise South Melbourne developments (city side of City Road). His apartment has absolutely nothing, so we arranged basic furniture for him. He is doing NILS (no interest loans) re whitegoods. During our chat with him, he divulged some quite disturbing personal background issues that have obviously played a large part in his pathway to date. When asked how he knew of the Vinnies he said that the Vinnies were well known within the prison system for providing assistance when out. He has a teenage son he is not allowed to see until he achieves certain milestones. It is unclear but appears that he is not on any formal program to assist him with his recovery. He spoke of the dissociation with family/friends (which he very much understood/accepted) and that the loneliness that has come with that is very challenging.

Vinnies volunteers truly embody the spirit of generosity and community, finding fulfillment in making a tangible difference. It’s inspiring how the act of helping others can lead to personal transformation and a deeper connection with the world around us.

 But it is your compassion and support that makes the work of Vinnies possible.  Financial donations play a critical role in sustaining the Society. 

On the weekend of 21-22 June, our parishes’ St Vincent de Paul Society will hold its annual Winter Appeal.  A special collection will be taken at each Mass over that weekend and proceeds will help fund the Society’s work for the year ahead. Those works are wide ranging and targeted to assist those in need both financially and socially, as explained by the Society’s State President, Michael Quinn, in this short video prepared earlier this year as part of National Volunteer Week. 

Our Conferences are always looking for new members to assist in our work.  If you are interested in joining or finding out more about the work, please contact the Conference President(s) – details can be obtained from the Parish Office.

Donations may be made direct to your applicable Parish Conference by visiting their donation page using the link or QR code below.  .

Together let us try and break the cycle of homelessness and poverty.

Camberwell Conference

Deepdene Balwyn Conference

Surrey Hills Wattle Park Conference

Image:  St Vincent de Paul Society Australia