Our Vision...

Children and Families
From new clothes at the beginning of the school year to Christmas/holiday season assistance for needy families, St. Vincent de Paul volunteers help children and families with a variety of needs all year long! Often it’s the basics: rent, food and power. St. Vincent de Paul helps all in need regardless of creed.

Timely St. Vincent de Paul intervention during a crisis can prevent eviction, prevent hunger, prevent utility shut off—thwarting the devastating financial and mental impacts that crush individuals and families and erode the fabric of the community.

Adults and Seniors
Poverty can strike suddenly. Unexpected layoff, an injury or devastating illness can change one’s circumstances in a blink of an eye.

Homeless and Low-Income
St. Vincent de Paul helps with food banks, meal programs, mail service, clothing and blankets, and connecting services to help homeless and needy neighbors.

Like that of our Founder, Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, our vision for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is to “Embrace the world in a network of charity.”

“Compassion in Action”

This is what the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is all about – caring people helping their neighbors in need to prevent homelessness, hunger, power-shut offs and more. Besides material assistance, we bring compassion and hope. Poverty has a mind of its own. It can pop up in unexpected places right here in our community. But practical, compassionate person-to-person caring can make a world of difference.

At St. Vincent de Paul, our goal is to deal with the initial emergency then shepherd individuals into programs that can bring lasting change into their lives. Donations made locally are used and distributed throughout Seattle and King County neighborhoods.

In 1920, the first St. Vincent de Paul conference in Seattle was founded at St. Benedict Parish. By 2007, the Society has grown to 53 neighborhood-based conferences whose members make home visits to the poor. The Community Information Line (211) referred more than 19,000 calls to St. Vincent de Paul and we answered 29,341 total calls for help. Our accomplishments this past year:

· 51,779 neighbors in need helped through preventing eviction, hunger and power shut-off and more

· 580,740 meals provided for homeless and needy people

· Volunteers in Seattle & King Co. gave 83,265 hours of service

· 687 tons of materials were recycled

· Our Five thrift stores provided employment and training, volunteer and community service opportunities, affordable clothing and household item and free items to the neediest in our community

Join us in this mission of caring as we celebrate our 175^th anniversary worldwide involving more than 690,000 volunteers in 142 countries. Through home visits, thrift stores, food banks and meal programs, disaster assistance and other programs, your active support makes “Compassion in Action” possible.

Our Founder: Frederic Ozanam

Frederic Ozanam (1813-1853) was a model teacher, scholar, husband and father. In 1833, as a 20 year old college student, he founded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the slums of Paris, during a time of great political upheaval. Envisioning a worldwide network of charity, his Society grew into an outreach of compassion which now serves the poor in 142 countries. Frederic has much to teach people today!

In word and deed, Frederic advocated prayer, personal service, and Christian Social Justice. Ozanam was declared Blessed by Pope John Paul II in 1997. The Church celebrates his feast day on Sept. 9. This date coincides with the birthday of Blessed Rosalie Rendu, the Catholic nun who taught Ozanam about spirituality and home visitation to the poor.

Our Patron: St. Vincent de Paul

St. Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) was founder of the Congregation of the Mission, Daughters of Charity, Confraternities of Charity, and Ladies of Charity. A man of deep faith, keen intellect, and enormous creativity, he has become known as the "The Apostle of Charity" and "Father of the Poor." The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is named after him.