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Our Work to Protect the Poor Must Go on After Reconciliation Bill Passage

Our Work to Protect the Poor Must Go on After Reconciliation Bill Passage 1600 1065 Kristen Blacksher

Our Work to Protect the Poor Must Go on After Reconciliation Bill Passage

By John Berry, National President of SVdP USA 

In the Gospel reading on July 4, our nation’s independence day, Jesus called Matthew to join the disciples, prompting the Pharisees to ask why he ate with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus responded, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’”

This reading is fitting. After all, America was founded as a Christian nation. At our best, we are a nation of Matthews, sinners who hear the Word and follow Him. That is why it was so disappointing to me personally that on this very same day, a bill was signed into law that lacks mercy for the least of these.

The budget reconciliation bill, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” changes our nation’s SNAP and Medicaid programs, which will hurt men, women, and children by stripping away food and medical benefits that they rely on to survive. That is why the US Bishops and I, along with numerous other secular and faith-based organizations, urged Congress to protect Medicaid and SNAP. With freedom comes a responsibility to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and comfort the lonely.

So now, we must go forward. From the passage of this bill, it is estimated that millions of people will lose their Medicaid or food assistance benefits. Here are ways you can respond:

  1. We can expect an increased need for assistance in our communities. We encourage you to discuss at the local level how you might be able to adapt and scale up your services and programs.
  2. On July 17, SVdP USA’s national director of public policy and advocacy Ingrid Delgado will join a Voice for the Poor webinar to provide an update on current federal policy and how our new D.C. office staff is engaging on key issues, as well as how all of us can advocate effectively at the local level. You may register here.
  3. As SVdP USA continues to advocate for our neighbors in need, you can sign up for Voter Voice to receive electronic action alerts so that you can contact your elected officials on key legislation.

We 85,000 American Vincentians are fortified by the strength and knowledge that we are doing God’s will. We do this through our food banks and homeless shelters. We do this through our charitable pharmacies and our programs to aid immigrants. Mostly, we do this through our one-on-one encounters with people, for it is in those encounters that we see the very face of God. We will not stop working for them, and we will not stop advocating for those who have nobody else. We cannot – we will not – fail them.

Grant Opportunity from Holy Spirit SVdP Conference

Grant Opportunity from Holy Spirit SVdP Conference 605 430 Kristen Blacksher

Grant Opportunity from Holy Spirit SVdP Conference

In February 2025, Holy Spirit SVdP Conference of Huntsville, Alabama received a very large gift from the estate of one of their parishioners, John Butas. John grew up as an orphan in Montreal and was taken in by the Daughters of Charity. This gift shows he has never forgotten his heritage.  It was John’s wish that this money be spread as widely as possible within the worldwide SVdP family and that each gift be used to help a maximum number of people according to their situation.

Society of St. Vincent de Paul Conferences and Councils in the United States have the opportunity to apply for this grant, and funds will be distributed over the next 1-2 years.

Holy Spirit SVdP Conference Board has set up a specific grant protocol for disbursing the funds. Please follow the instructions below:

  1. Download and fill out this 2-page project application form: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14NRWxxenaPUZjVDujkZ9nxwMX2QQMVBZ/view?usp=sharing.
  2. After downloading and filling out this form, submit it by email to svdp.hsv.hs@gmail.com. Please make sure there is sufficient contact information on the form so you can be reached with questions. Applicants should be in good standing as an SVDP Conference and/or Council and have 501 (c) (3) tax exempt status.
  3. A special committee will then approve or table the submitted project. This special committee was created specifically to review projects and is independent of the Conference Board of Directors.
  4. The Holy Spirit Conference Board of Directors will then make the final decision, and a check will be placed in the mail if the project is approved.

As you are choosing your projects, please keep in mind that the Holy Spirit Conference’s intent is to honor John Butas and his wishes to choose projects that will help as many people as possible, as opposed to gifts that only help one individual. Holy Spirit Conference leadership wants to consider projects that have a wide impact and create systemic change. From an accounting perspective, consider this a grant request.

Haiti Daughters of Charity Thank You

Haiti Daughters of Charity Thank You 289 269 admin

Dear Benefactor Friends,

We are entering a new liturgical year, inviting us to reflect on the great mystery of God, who leans toward humanity by sending His Son, Jesus, made man, to give us the fullness of true life. Pope Francis is proposing a year of prayer and a journey of hope for the Holy Year 2025. The Advent season is a time of Hope, grounded in faith in God, who is love. The most beautiful proof of this love is the Father sending Jesus and Jesus’ self-gift on the cross for the salvation of humanity. Let us be pilgrims of hope, following in Christ’s footsteps and, in imitation of Him, proclaim to our brothers and sisters the boundless love of His heart.

This past year has brought many blessings and challenges to our land of Haiti, where we are witnessing the exodus of a people sinking deeper into social instability. Yet, this people lives in hope, believing that one day the light will shine brightly!

Let us pray for all the children, youth, adults, and elderly who live in suffering and uncertainty. Our presence among them is a sign of hope, supporting their daily efforts. Let us be attentive to our brothers and sisters around us, offering them a word, a gesture of closeness, or material aid. For them, these are manifestations of God’s tenderness, bending to hear the cries of the afflicted.

Your timely contributions in aid of Haiti are not in vain. On the contrary, they are drops of water that increase the sea of solidarity with this people.

Dear Benefactor Friends, be assured of our prayers for you and for all your loved ones. Receive the best wishes of our brothers and sisters living in poverty for the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

May God fill you with grace and blessings forever.

The Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul

https://members.ssvpusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Haiti-Thank-You-Images.docx

COMPAGNIE

Chers Amis bienfaiteurs.

Nous voici à une nouvelle année liturgique qui nous invite à réfléchir sur le grand mystère de Dieu qui se penche sur l`humanité en envoyant son Fils Jésus fait homme pour nous donner la plénitude de la vraie vie. Le Pape François nous propose une année de prière et un parcours d`espérance pour l`année sainte 2025. Le temps de l`Avent est le temps de l’Espérance fondée dans la foi en Dieu qui est amour. La preuve la plus belle de cet amour est l`envoi de Jésus par le Père et le don de Jésus sur la croix pour le salut des hommes. Soyons pèlerins d`espérance, mettons nos pas dans ceux du Christ et à son imitation, annonçons à nos frères et sœurs tout l`amour de son cœur.

Cette année qui s’achève, nous a porté pas mal de choses bonnes et moins bonnes dans notre terre d`Haïti où nous sommes en train de vivre un exode d’un peuple qui va de mal en pire dans une instabilité sociale ; et pourtant ce peuple vit dans l’espérance qu’un jour on verra briller la lumière !

Prions pour tous les enfants, les jeunes, adultes et personnes âgées qui vivent dans la souffrance et l`incertitude de vie. Notre présence au milieu d`eux est un signe d’espérance les soutenant dans leurs efforts quotidiens disant nos frères et sœurs qui vivent autour de nous. Leur offrir une parole, un geste de proximité, une aide matérielle est pour eux la tendresse de Dieu qui se penche aux cris des malheureux.

Votre apport ponctuel d’aide en faveur d`Haïti n`est pas vain, au contraire ce sont des gouttes d’eau qui font augmenter le volume de la mer de solidarité avec ce peuple.

Chers Amis bienfaiteurs, soyez assurés de nos prières pour vous et pour tous ceux qui vous sont chers ; Recevez les souhaits les meilleurs de nos frères et sœurs les pauvres pour les festivités de Noel et du nouvel An.

Que Dieu vous comble de grâce et de bénédictions à jamais.

Les Filles de la Charité de St Vincent de Paul

 

National Puerto Rican Heritage Month

National Puerto Rican Heritage Month 624 587 admin

Join us this November as we celebrate National Puerto Rican Heritage Month!

“Had we but one spark of the divine fire that consumed the heart of Jesus Christ, would we remain with our arms folded and abandon those whom we could assist”—St. Vincent de Paul.

We know that we are called to assist our neighbors in need. Yet, if we had that one spark of divine fire that consumed the heart of Christ, could we ignore and be blind to the beauty of the cultural heritages of our neighbors in need. Our neighbors may be caught up in situational or generational poverty, but their culture and history keeps them grounded and sustains them through their difficulties.

In this month of National Puerto Rican Heritage Month, let’s look at two traditional types of Puerto Rican music beyond salsa: the music of the mountains, or jibaro music, and bomba.

Take a listen to this traditional music of the people in the mountainous region of Puerto Rico by Ramito: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHA_30e7eEc&list=PLygGmiBruOlf6Aw7BDr34GWA2eDp6OosP&index=10

Modern jibaro music composed by Fabiola Mendez: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yJjALda0X4

The second traditional type of Puerto Rican music is bomba. Bomba is an umbrella term that refers to a variety of musical styles and associated dances originating in Puerto Rico. It was developed by enslaved Africans and their descendants in sugar plantations along coastal towns, most notably Loiza, Mayagüez, Ponce, and San Juan, during the 17th century.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXRMF2ndL2Y

Take a listen to the vibrant bomba that a group of young people played in a subway in Chicago. This version is a modern interpretation of bomba.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkK68RxqKAE&list=RDQMpRXHg7WufZY&index=7

When we look at the table of St. Vincent de Paul, those of us with eyes to see can almost see the Puerto Rican jibaro and the dancers and players of bomba at the table.

 

 

SVdP North Texas CEO Featured on Guadalupe Radio

SVdP North Texas CEO Featured on Guadalupe Radio 900 900 admin

SVdP North Texas CEO Luis Gonzalez recently appeared on the Guadalupe Radio Network. He was interviewed by University of Dallas President Jonathan Sanford on The Good News program.

Luis shared with Catholic listeners many of the Society’s good works, including the power of the Home Visit, North Texas’ charitable pharmacy, and the impact of servant leadership.

Click below to listen to the full interview.

PPP Loan Scam Alert

PPP Loan Scam Alert 1200 628 admin

We recently received the following voice mail on a personal cell phone:

“Hi this is Emma XXXX and I’m following up regarding your eligibility for forgiveness and it looks like your application is incomplete and needs to be submitted before the end of the deadline. It is urgent that you return the call to complete your application and to avoid payment or punishment. If you could please call our dedicated eligibility counseling at 1-800-XXX-XXXX to complete your application and finalize your involvement at soon as possible. Again the number is 1-800-XXX-XXXX, thank you and I hope you have a nice day.”

This call has all of the telltale signs of fraud: it was unsolicited, I did not provide my personal cell when National Council applied for their PPP Loan and the caller does not provide the name of the organization.

We all know we should never provide social security numbers, banking/credit card information, or upfront payments, but fraudsters can be tricky and work to make you comfortable enough to provide this information or find a way into your computer and infect it with malware.

Fraudulent calls and emails may appear legitimate at first glance. Emails often use the correct logos for an organization and even direct you to an official-looking website. Be skeptical before you respond or click on a link in an email. Are you expecting the call or email? If the information is pertinent to your current work, move your mouse pointer over the email to reveal the actual full address of the sender and determine if it looks correct. An email regarding a business or government program does not normally come from a personal account or a foreign country. Also, look for misspellings or incorrect grammar in the email. If it looks off, it is most likely a scam. If you are afraid that you may still be missing important information, google the website of the actual organization and using the contact information found on their website call or email them to verify the authenticity. Do not forward the email to others for their opinion, it may contain a virus and forwarding can further spread to others. If it still seems fishy, delete without clicking or responding.

Welcome to Vincentian News & Updates!

Welcome to Vincentian News & Updates! 1200 628 admin

Welcome to Vincentian News & Updates! We’ll use this space to share some of the articles and news that have traditionally been distributed via the e-Gazette, including upcoming webinars and events and noteworthy items about our poverty programs, formation, and governance. Our goals are twofold:

  1. To make newsworthy items easier to access. The blog is searchable, and more easily accessible than a once-a-week email.
  2. To make the e-Gazette shorter. By hosting the bulk of every article here on the members’ website, the e-Gazette email will be shorter to scroll through.

Is your Conference or Council doing something noteworthy you’d like to share with the National Council? Email us your good news!

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