The St. Vincent de Paul Society’s annual Christmas Appeal provides financial and material support for those in need, the jobless and the disadvantaged in Melbourne and throughout the State. Our support for the jobless and the needy has been even more important this year on the back of a wind down in Government Covid related support and as we emerge from various lockdowns.
The Deepdene/Balwyn, Camberwell and Surrey Hills Wattle Park Conferences are involved in a range of outreach work, including home visits in the local parish areas and the suburbs of South and North Melbourne. Face to face visitations have recently restarted after a lengthy period of support being arranged via telephone and postal means. In addition, some members volunteer at Vinnies Stores in Hawthorn, Mont Albert and East Kew, and provide support to the soup vans. These stores were closed for many months during the recent Covid lockdown and have only recently reopened to the public. We are seeing many people coming to SVDP for assistance. For many, it is the first time they have sought help. We predict that demand for our services will continue to increase over the Christmas period and beyond.
In the past 12 months our Conferences have provided assistance to individuals and families as follows:
| Deepdene/Balwyn Conference | |||
| Number of home visits/calls | 371 | up 10% on previous 12 months | |
| Number of people assisted: | Adults: | 475 | |
| Children: | 225 | ||
| Value of assistance provided: | $27,158 | up 12% on previous 12 months | |
| Camberwell Conference | |||
| Number of home visits/calls: | 143 | up 32% on previous 12 months | |
| Number of people assisted: | Adults: | 174 | |
| Children: | 66 | ||
| Value of assistance provided: | $13,689 | up 58% on previous 12 months | |
| Surrey Hills Wattle Park Conference | |||
| Number of home visits/calls: | 137 | ||
| Number of people assisted: | Adults: | 192 | |
| Children: | 73 | ||
| Value of assistance provided: | $16,600 | of this, $10,000 was provided in food vouchers |
Assistance provided included supermarket gift vouchers, Vinnies store vouchers, paying pharmacy bills, utility bills, and providing essential whitegoods and furniture. Most importantly, a key part of our work, which is often little recognised, is to lend a listening ear.
Over the past twelve months, Deepdene/Balwyn Conference have also provided $9,334 in total of assistance to 13 twin conferences in India, Myanmar and the Philippines. These areas have been badly affected by the Covid pandemic.
The Founder of the St Vincent de Paul Society, Blessed Frederick Ozanam said “Yours must be the work of love, of kindness, you must give your time, your talents, yourselves. The poor person is a unique person of God’s fashioning with an inalienable right to respect.”
All donations to our Christmas Appeal are gratefully appreciated.
Please download and complete the SVDP Christmas Appeal Donation Form for available options for making a donation and in particular the need to specifically make reference to your local Conference.
It’s your compassion and support that makes our work possible. Financial donations play a critical role in sustaining the Society. The annual Vinnies Winter and Christmas appeals are the primary local fundraising activity of our conferences.
Our Conferences are always looking for new members to assist in our work. If you are interested in joining or finding out more about our works please contact the Conference President(s) via the Parish Office.
To make a donation or for further information about St Vincent de Paul:
SVDP Christmas Appeal Donation Form (please download the form, complete and follow lodgment instructions)
Deepdene and Balwyn Conference SVDP Fundraising page
Christmas Appeal donate online
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