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Helping Hand in Mississippi

Helping Hand in Mississippi 150 150 Lori Pattison

Jimmie Ann McDonald was living a perfectly normal life prior to March 2023, when a tornado ripped through the small town of Amory, Mississippi, leaving her without a home and everything else she had owned.

Jimmie was blessed with a FEMA Unit, as a temporary residence for up to 18 months. Jimmie petitioned for a reduced purchase price for the FEMA unit and was accepted by FEMA, but did not have nearly enough to make the purchase, leaving her stressed that she would not have a home or anywhere else to go before the deadline.

She started working with DSC SVDP-USA Disaster Case Manager, Chyna Howard, and mentioned that she was a “Gift from God”.  Within 2 months, the Disaster Case Manager was able to quickly secure funding that would forever change her life.  Lutheran Disaster Services agreed to fund part of the FEMA unit check, and the local Society of St. Vincent de Paul Conference, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, also agreed to assist Ms. McDonald.  The local SVDP Conference has been working collaboratively with DSC to assist their “Neighbors in Need” that were impacted by the deadly March 2023 tornados. Lutheran Disaster Services (LDS) wired the funds to the conference and the FEMA unit purchase price of $5,603 was paid for by two faith-based groups working together. This ecumenical approach kept the family from being homeless and turned them from renters to homeowners.  DSC contributed $426 for Flood Insurance which was a requirement to purchase the FEMA unit and DSC provided $2,000 in a furniture voucher for client.  At the age of 61, Jimmie McDonald is beyond proud to be a first-time homeowner and will be fully recovered once furniture is delivered.

As Pastor Allison with LDS said, “It takes a village to help a family recover from a disaster”.

 

Survivor Story From Western KY – Part 2

Survivor Story From Western KY – Part 2 150 150 Lori Pattison

Many of the people we serve through our Disaster Services are already in need of assistance in their day-to-day when a tornado, flood, earthquake, fire, or hurricane hits.  With every disaster, our neighbors show us the power of resilience: trusting in God, their families, their communities, and themselves that they will recover. What a blessing it is when we get to witness them doing just that! One example of a survivor’s resilience is in the story of a husband and wife from Charleston, Kentucky.

J and D are both in their nineties and were asleep when a tornado hit their farmhouse in May of 2024. They had no warning, no time to seek shelter, and could only lay in bed as their entire house was destroyed around them—all except the bedroom they were sleeping in, miraculously left intact enough to protect them (pictured in E-Gazette). Since the loss of their home, they found an assisted living facility to move into, but had no furniture or housewares, and both had additional needs due to health and mobility concerns. Fortunately, J and D had the advantage of a strong and caring community.

The couple’s family connected with the local St. Vincent de Paul conference, which was able to provide two twin beds, appropriate bedding, and two lift chairs. “They are very supported by their family,” said a Vincentian who aided the couple. “Other neighbors even called to tell me how special they are to the community.”

The couple has struggled with their health since the storm, and one complicating factor is husband J’s dementia, the symptoms of which worsened with the stress of being displaced. Our Vincentian explained how moving into this new facility with necessities provided by the St. Vincent de Paul Society allows them to move forward. “Getting them into a home today is going to help them get stabilized,” she said. “I am so happy to get this couple into a safe and comfortable place with the help of SVdP!”

Our neighbors are tough, and we are blessed to witness their resilience as we assist them through disaster relief.

Yours in Christ,

The Disaster Services Team 

 

Survivor Story from Western KY Spring Tornadoes

Survivor Story from Western KY Spring Tornadoes 150 150 Pam Hudson

Have you ever encountered a neighbor suffering so greatly, it seemed any assistance you could offer would be insufficient?

As Vincentians, we inevitably encounter poverty and suffering so deep that our material assistance feels like a Band Aid on a bullet wound. It is easy to become discouraged when our resources don’t seem to measure up to the needs we witness, but this story of a husband and wife in Western Kentucky reminds us that the corporal needs we address through our ministries are overshadowed by the powerful friendship we offer our neighbors by walking with them.

P and T lost their home and everything in it to a tornado in May of 2024. Husband T suffers with stage-four cancer, and the couple’s biggest struggle since the storm has been driving T great distances to his many medical appointments in different cities. P lost her job after taking too many days off work to get T to his appointments, leaving a $400 monthly assistance check as their only income.

Living out of a trailer with no belongings and scant resources, P and T came to their local St. Vincent de Paul conference in need of food, clothing, and gas money to get to and from T’s doctor visits. These material needs were met by gift cards, but far more important were the emotional needs met by personal connection.

One Vincentian shared the opportunity she had to directly support this family through the mental load of T’s diagnosis and stress of losing their home.

“I could tell P was very distraught, so I went to visit her and talk to her…She had a lot of anxiety over what happened.” This Vincentian expressed how powerful a listening ear and encouraging word were for this family. “Although their journey will be a long one, the help from SVdP has taken a lot of the burden of the immediate needs from them.”

She and P are pictured together.

“We formed an immediate bond,” said our Vincentian. “I am so glad that we could help this family.”

Brothers and sisters, never underestimate the power your time and care can lift up and encourage even the most devastated neighbor. Please pray for our Kentucky Vincentians and the people they serve this week.

Yours in Christ,

Clare Vanderburgh, The Disaster Services Team 

Rhode Island Vincentians Turning Apartments Into Homes

Rhode Island Vincentians Turning Apartments Into Homes 150 150 Pam Hudson

When tragedy strikes, communities rally around their most vulnerable members. This is the mark of a society. Many of us know, however, that recovering from a disaster takes more than temporary shelters, boxes of donated items, and a few weeks to get back on your feet. This is a process that can take place over months, even years. When the calendar changes and it seems everyone has forgotten those who are still in need: this is when the Society of St. Vincent de Paul makes a difference with financial support, presence, and prayer.

The work being done by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Rhode Island this summer is exemplary of the value of long-term assistance to our neighbors in need. On May 28, 2023, Simmons Village, an affordable housing apartment complex for aging and disabled residents in Johnston, Rhode Island, suffered a devastating fire. 45 households were affected, and 41 are still displaced one year later. Fortunately, the Society has been with these survivors every step of the way, and on May 30, 2024, Rhode Island Vincentians mobilized to package and personally deliver essential household items to the newly rebuilt complex. This material support is made possible through House in a Box, a Disaster Services program that delivers essential furniture and home supplies right to survivors’ doors, turning empty apartments into comfortable homes.

“The residents of Simmons Village have endured unimaginable hardship over the past year,” said Reneé Brissette Executive Director of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Rhode Island. “Our Long-Term Disaster Services is designed to provide them with the essential items needed to start anew. We are committed with the help of the community to ensuring these families can return to a sense of normalcy and stability.”

Additionally, SVdP Rhode Island’s initiative will support the residents of Simmons Village with a grant from the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, USA, local community connections, and the generous support of fellow Vincentians. But the work is not done yet: Rhode Island Vincentians will continue to raise funds for the House in a Box program to provide as many residents as possible with basic furniture, linens, and housewares.

Johnston residents return home one year after fire destroys apartment building (turnto10.com)

Submitted by: SVdP Rhode Island

DISASTER SERVICES UPDATE

DISASTER SERVICES UPDATE 150 150 Pam Hudson

Dear Vincentians,

 

We are all familiar with the startling and isolating dread that can overwhelm us when the unthinkable happens, and our Vincentian principles call us to action. In the wake of a Midwestern tornado, Vincentian friendship, and service shines in the story of a neighbor in need of a place to rest.

 

As an aging member of the Seminole tribe, living alone in a rented house in Shawnee, Oklahoma on a fixed income, Jane was getting by. But disaster struck in 2023, when a spring tornado blew out her bedroom window, bringing devastating damage to the house and everything inside.

 

Although her landlord repaired the damage to the house itself, Jane had no renter’s insurance, so she couldn’t replace the furniture and personal items destroyed by the tornado. With FEMA funds exhausted on temporary housing and personal funds spent on other clean up, Jane had no way to obtain a new mattress, and she was left sleeping fretfully on her couch.

 

Thanks to support from donors, and a collaboration between an SVdP Disaster Representative, the Oklahoma City Archdiocesan Council, and disaster case managers at Oklahoma City Catholic Charities, Jane connected with the St. Andrew Conference in Moore, Oklahoma. The OKC Council purchased a new mattress using funds from a SVdP Long-Term Disaster Recovery Grant and mobilized St. Andrew Vincentians to deliver the mattress to their neighbor in need.

 

Jane was delighted to receive the final item necessary to put her home back in order and comfortably rest again, thanks to the help of dutiful Vincentians in collaboration with their community partners.

 

Identifying and fostering relationships with other local organizations empowers your Conference to better serve your neighbors when disaster strikes. Who do you know in your area involved in emergency management? Where are the gaps in community response that your Conference can help fill?

 

When Vincentians pursue these collaborative relationships, we strengthen our community bonds to the benefit of our Conferences, our neighbors, and our community partners.

 

In Christ,

The SVdP USA Disaster Services Corporation Team

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