SVDP - St Charles Conference
Society of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Charles Conference
Helping San Carlos Neighbors Thrive
Known as the City of Good Living, San Carlos is a beautiful and successful community. Still, some low-income residents are faced with the choice between paying rent or buying groceries. Households living paycheck to paycheck are often unable to cover expenses when an illness, injury, or death in the family occurs. To ease these struggling neighbors’ burden, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) St. Charles Conference throws a lifeline of support around them. SVdP emergency assistance creates space to navigate these challenges and strengthen the San Carlos community.
Since its founding in Paris, France, nearly two hundred years ago, Catholic parishes carry out SVdP’s mission to care for the poor. SVdP encompasses charitable, social, and spiritual aspects, inspiring Catholic church volunteers to participate in their communities. San Mateo County has a District Office and 32 SVdP conferences, and St. Charles Parish supports the San Carlos conference. The SVdP network of parish volunteers connects community members with food sources, housing assistance, and other necessities.
Community Foundation of San Carlos has significantly impacted the San Carlos neighbors SVdP serves with grant funding totaling $42,000 between 2021 and 2024. In 2023, a $10,000 grant helped four families experiencing extreme hardship stay in their homes. In one case, a spouse was incapacitated by a work injury, devastating the household income. In another situation, a single mother underwent cancer therapy and needed help supporting her family. Foundation support allowed SVdP to help these families without depleting funding for food assistance to other neighbors. The Foundation’s 2024 grant of $14,000 will go entirely toward purchasing Safeway cards to help San Carlos neighbors experiencing food insecurity.
SVdP receives referrals from other nonprofits to provide its safety net services. Monday through Friday, teams of two from the San Carlos conference meet with neighbors in person to assess their needs. “It is really nice to sit down and talk, spending 15 to 20 minutes with a neighbor, to see what their fears are and what they are concerned about,” says Kayte Mariani, President of the St. Charles Conference. Home visits are arranged quickly on the same day or the next day after the call for assistance is made. These confidential visits build trust with those they serve and often uncover more ways SVdP can help.
SVdP volunteers deliver groceries during home visits and assess families’ income and expenses. Sometimes, SVdP volunteers identify how neighbors can cut costs to cover essential expenses. In one case, SVdP coached someone through emptying their storage units to free up funds to rent an apartment instead. Volunteers can advocate for improved living situations with landlords if egregious maintenance issues need addressing—like an unhealthy mold situation. Neighbors needing rental payment assistance are required to apply for and be denied by Samaritan House first, then contact SVdP to be considered to receive emergency funds. SVdP also covers unexpected needs neighbors experience, like basic utilities, car payments, dental work, glasses, and tuition. The parish men’s club helps neighbors shoulder the heavy lifting of donated furniture or helping to move a neighbor.
The St. Charles Conference has many success stories of lifting neighbors out of challenging situations. Mariani recalls a young woman finishing her teaching credential at Notre Dame de Namur University, and SVdP helped pay for her last semester. SVdP also helped her prep for job interviews and took her to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul thrift store to buy a work-ready wardrobe with vouchers. “Our voucher system gives people an opportunity to shop without having to pay because they can’t,” says Mariani. SVdP operates two thrift stores in San Mateo and South San Francisco, where people use vouchers to shop for donated clothing and household items. Dollars from the general public keep the stores in operation. And the woman, SVdP sponsored? She got the job and became a teacher.
The San Carlos SVdP Conference regularly serves 35 families a month with food assistance. During fiscal year 2023 to 2024, volunteers impacted approximately 109 adults and 59 children on 479 home visits. In the same year, groceries sourced from the Second Harvest Silicon Valley food bank valued at $30,000 were delivered, and $41,000 in Safeway gift cards were distributed to supplement food choices and provide other necessities like diapers.
SVdP regularly engages local youth in acts of charity through parish grade school food donation collection. In preparation for holiday meals or to fill the parish SVdP pantry, each class collects a different food item like soup, cereal, and peanut butter, rounding out meal choices. Public schools and the San Carlos community are also invited to participate in fundraising and food donations sponsored by SVdP.
If you want to help San Carlos neighbors thrive, SVdP offers a few ways to do so. Donations of clothing and home goods are accepted at SVdP thrift stores, and cash donations to the St. Charles Parish SVdP help San Carlos families access food and shelter. Visit the St. Charles Parish website for ways to donate.
$15,000 granted for continued support (Fall 2024)
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$10,000 granted to the local chapter who serve as a safety net to the San Carlos community by providing food, rent, utility assistance, furniture, and clothing. (Fall 2023)
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$10,000 granted on 11/9/2022 to help low-income San Carlos families with basic needs. (Fall 2022)
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St Vincent De Paul - St Charles Conference granted $7,000 to support rent defrayment and other expenses created by increased unemployment and family stresses. (Fall 2021)