The Start of a New Week at SVdP Atlanta

Well it's Monday again and we're ready to start another week at SVdP Atlanta.  I thought that you might be interested in getting an idea of what the week ahead entails for us here.  So I'm going going to 'take you behind the curtain' and let you be part of our morning.

This morning we started the week with our weekly staff update.  Everyone gives each other an update on what's scheduled in each department so that we can each know how scheduled activity is going to impact us.  Usually it's safe to say that about half of what occurs during the week is proactive and half is reactive.  That's about normal and expected for an organization like ours.  The "fun" starts when that reactive percent climbs based on unanticipated issues and activities.

Our Stores Director Kevin reports that we just signed the new lease on Friday to expand our Kennesaw Thrift Store into a new 10,000 sq. ft. space.  Now that we've committed to the space there will be quite a bit of physical work on it before we actually move in.  Thankfully the majority of that work will be done by our "volunteer army" with support from local groups like the Knights of Columbus and Kennesaw State University (Go Owls!) students.  Exciting time ahead!

We've also got a new Thrift Store Manager for the Dallas, GA store starting training today.

Communications Programs Manager Caryn is getting ready for our benefit concert Wednesday night with the Argentinian group "Tres de Guitarras Domine" who will be performing at Transfiguration Catholic Church in Marietta.  This group, through the generous efforts of the Argentinian Consulate, is performing free to benefit the work of SVdP Atlanta.  In addition, Caryn is getting ready for the printing and mailing of invitations for our 5th Annual Evening for Hope on October 15th at the Marriott Marquis in Atlanta.

The Vincentian Support Department is operating without its Director, Brian, who is off on a well earned and deserved vacation in Florida with his family.  But Louise and Tiffany are stepping in to continue the work of that department including the delivery of our Vincentian University programs, including the Leadership Workshop this week.

The Finance and Development offices are deeply engaged in grant reporting and management and preparation for the anticipated release of over $100,000 in EFSP funding to us.  This funding will be used to directly support people in need with housing, uniltriy, and food assistance across North and Middle Georgia.

Client Support department efforts are focused on delivery of services at the four Family Support Centers, continuing growth and management of the Food Distribution Program (including the addition of a new partner this week) and process and procedures for monitoring of the EFSP funds mentioned above.

I have a busy week ahead of me, starting with a meeting tonight with the Governor and Mayor on transportation issues and then partner meetings the rest of the week.  On Wednesday night I'll be with the Argentine Counsel General at the concert in Marietta and o Thursday night I'll travel to Jasper, GA to bid farewell and offer my thanks to our District 8 President as he leaves us to move to Arizona.

So, I hope this gave you a little taste of what a week around here is like.  There's never a dull moment at SVdP Atlanta.

John

Kids and The Viscous Cycle of Poverty

The cheating scandal within the Atlanta Public School System has dominated the news for the last few weeks.  The scope of the scandal is breathtaking and it will be a long time until all the facts are unraveled and the damage assessed.  Unfortunately it will likely be an even longer time until the damage caused to the children of the school system can be corrected.

In all of the fallout from this tragic episode we must ensure that we do not lose sight of the fact that the impact of a failure to educate children today has longer term implications.  The viscous cycle of poverty and dependence that many find themselves in is, more often than not, directly tied to a lack of education or inadequate education.

The cycle of poverty is not difficult to understand.  Each of us lives within a socioeconomic system whose parts interact with each other.  If the system is working well it favors personal growth.  If not it thwarts growth and accelerates decline.  If, for example, I don’t have a job, I don’t earn money.  If I don’t earn money I can’t buy food for my family.  If my son or daughter doesn’t have sufficient food they suffer malnutrition.  If they suffer malnutrition they can’t study well. If he or she can’t study well they won’t graduate from school.  If he or she doesn’t graduate from school he/she may not get a decent job.  If they don’t get a decent job they won’t earn enough money to buy food.  And so the cycle begins again.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution, in an editorial on July 15, 2011, addressed this issue of education and poverty in the context of the APS cheating scandal.  While addressing the need for reform and change in the system they also made the case that it is only through a holistic approach to our school and communities that real progress can be made in helping our children. One memorable line in the editorial said: "Children’s horizons are heavily influenced by their surroundings, we all know that. Effective learning can’t occur until we find new ways to better counteract harsh outside-of-school realities facing thousands of students. "
The cycle of poverty cannot be broken at the school level unless effective learning can occur. And effective learning cannot occur when children are hungry, or living in rat infested hovels, or subject to daily exposure to violence and drugs, or unloved and un-nurtured.
 

St. Vincent de Paul, through the work we do every day in our community, strives to address the challenges associated with breaking that cycle by addressing the needs of the community.  In some cases those needs involve programs that drive a systemic change approach.  Other situations call for urgent, immediate help that can address need without going beyond basic support. 

We will continue to define, develop, and implement programs that can support our local community volunteer conferences in their efforts to help people in need.  These efforts include creation of partnerships and collaborative programs with other nonprofits, the business community, and others.  Because we know that you cannot Change Lives unless you change circumstances.

The APS cheating scandal is a tragedy.  Children caught in cycles of need and dependence are a greater tragedy.  We must work together to correct both.  Let's get to work.

John Berry

CEO and Executive Director

Ripples Turning to Waves

The American theologian and writer Frederick Buechner once said “The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt.” 

When I think about the work of St. Vincent de Paul in Georgia over the last 104 years in the context of that statement I am overwhelmed with thoughts of the number of people our work has touched; directly and indirectly.  I think about lives that have literally been saved by some work of charity and love from Vincentians unknown to us today.  I think about how many times hope filled a void because of the acts of Vincentians unknown to us today.  I think about children who live lives of fulfillment and happiness because their parents were touched by Vincentians unknown to us today.

St. Vincent de Paul has served those in need in Georgia for many years; and we will continue today and then again tomorrow and then again next week.  We continue to touch people’s lives, to change people’s lives, to improve people’s lives.  We go on the home visits and listen.  We go on the home visits and we care.  We go on the home visits and we try to develop solutions to problems.  Why?

I think it’s because we know, maybe not consciously but we still know, that the life we are touching at that moment in time is not an isolated life or an isolated fellow human being.  We know that our impact is far reaching and long lasting.  We know that providing hope, help, and love to one person today provides help, hope, and love to unknown numbers of others tomorrow.

 

And that touch from one of the thousands of SVdP volunteers will create a ‘tremble’ and an impact that will travel far and wide.  And its impact will be felt.  Like the stone thrown into the still waters of a pond it will create tiny ripples of hope that together with the tiny ripples of hope created by the thousands of other Vincentians who have touched lives in Georgia over the last 104 years will become waves of positive change for people known and unknown to us.

It is only through the support our many thousands of donors and volunteers that we are able to do this.  If you are one of those thousands then we thank you for it and we humbly ask for you to continue to honor and bless us with it.  If not, we invite you to join with us in helping 'Change Lives...One at a Time.'

John

SVdP Busy in July

For a lot of organizations and people July is one of those laid back lazy months best used as a transition between the post-school year busy days of June and the pre-school year busy days of August.  Besides, it's hot and it's humid and who wants to do anything is this weather!

But at St. Vincent de Paul Atlanta we're staying busy in July, just like most other months.  The summer months are often hardest for us because the level of financial support we receive drops significantly.  Summer is the hardest time of the year for us to raise money, but the need that exists doesn't decrease; and in fact it goes up.  So we continue to try and meet the requests for help with tighter financial resources and reduced levels of personnel to do the work that needs to be done  (as our staff and volunteers take some well earned vacation themselves and spend time with their families).

This July we're also doing a special fund raising event on July 27th with a group of Guitarists from Argentina who graciously offered their talents to support our work.  There are details about the concert on our main website www.svdpatl.org.

We're also holding our annual Vincentian Night at the Braves on July 16th at Turner Field.  This is our yearly gathering of Vincentians from all over Georgia who come together for fellowship and fun.  It's a great opportunity for people from all over to meet others who have committed themselves to the service of people in need.  They also get to see me and my staff sweat over a hot barbecue as we cooks hot dogs and hamburgers in the parking lot before the game.  It seems like the last two years we've had rain on the night of the game, so I'm hoping this year we'll have a dry (and cool) night!

This month we're also adding new Kroger stores to the pickup schedule for the Food Distribution Program, we're conducting Vincentian University training, and we're beginning the process of expanding our Thrift Store in Kennesaw and exploring the opening of a new Mega Thrift Store in Lawrenceville.


Yes, we're staying pretty busy in July.  And I have no doubt we'll stay pretty busy in August and September and on and on.  As my kids would say ..."That's just how we roll."  If you'd like to join us in this rewarding, fun, and sometimes crazy ride we'd love to have you!

John

This week received over 1000 pounds of frozen meat from one of the companies that donated food to us as part of our food pantry distribution program.  This meat; perfectly good, healthy, tasty, and nutritious would have been thrown away a few months ago.  Dumped into a dumpster because it had exceeded the stores sell date.  Can you imagine that!  One thousand pounds of perfectly good high protein food that could feed literally thousands of people - and without our food program it would have been trashed.

We're pretty excited about the food pantry distribution program.  It works pretty simply. We have agreements with partners stores who pull food from their shelves when it is still good, but outside the company policy on selling it.  On a regular basis (usually weekly) we send a refrigerated truck to pick up the food and we bring it back to our main warehouse and distribution center in Chamblee where have an industrial size refrigerator/freezer unit.  There it is sorted and re-packed into smaller boxes with a variety of items.  Our 38 food pantries then come in and pick up the food for distribution to people in need in their local area.  This week some of that 1000 pounds of meat (picked up in Atlanta) was redistributed as far away as Blairsville!

We are at the very edge of the capabilities of this program.  With additional refrigerated trucks and additional industrial freezer capacity we could expand the program greatly.

Imagine it.  In ONE day we received over 1000 pounds of food.  In ONE day.  That food will help maybe 3000 or 4000 people who would have been hungry without it.  All from the food we received in ONE day.  If we had the capacity to expand this program so that we could pick up 1000 pounds of food EVERY DAY what an impact we could make on hunger and need in Georgia.

Imagine it.  Make it real.

John Berry
Executive Director

Spring has Finally Come to Georgia

Spring has finally come to Georgia. The trees are bursting with new leaves and colorful flowers, reminding us that no matter how severe the winter, nothing can stop nature’s cycle of rebirth and renewal.

 

Just a few months ago, we were knee deep in ice and snow.  We wondered, “How can anything survive being buried in 6 inches of snow for 5 days?”   Yet, all the plants, trees and flowers are in bloom. How did they know to renew themselves? How did they know what to do? How did they know when it was the right time? Nature can’t contain its energy. It must become what it is meant to be.

All of my observations reminded me how much we have in common with nature. While culture has embedded spring in our human experiences, it’s the same Divine nature that has embedded change in our cells. If allowed, it can awaken, resurrect, and remind us that we are intended to live in seasons of change, ever growing toward our highest and most beautiful potential!

This potential for change is what fuels SVdP’s journey to assist those in our communities who are considered the least, the needy, the marginalized. We believe in their capacity to change.  When we give them the help and support they seek, they begin to believe they can change, too!  They feel hopeful.

So as you experience the joy and hope of spring and the renewal and resurrection of Easter, we hope you will think of the people you have helped through your connection to SVdP.  Here are a few of their stories. We appreciate you participation and assistance. We hope you will feel gratified for being part of the renewal of hope for those in need. We hope you will decide that you can do even more. Please consider donating to St. Vincent de Paul.  We wish you a happy spring and a blessed and joyous Easter!

St. Vincent de Paul impacts Poverty in Georgia by $16.9 million

Atlanta, GA–St. Vincent de Paul Atlanta (SVdP) released 2010 outcome measurement results which demonstrate the impact of their programs and services on poverty and need in North and Middle Georgia. Overall, SVdP Atlanta provided nearly $17 million in financial, material, and educational support to people in need in 2010, an increase of more than 20 percent from 2009.  The Society helped nearly 185,000 people last year, an increase of more than 5,000 people from 2009.

Even while struggling with the ability to maintain staffing and services in this difficult economy,  SVdP was able to increase its support to those in need thanks to the generosity and  increased support of its donors, dedicated volunteer service, belt tightening and cost-cutting within the operation.

Through reducing costs and increasing fundraising efforts, SVdP was able to serve more people, providing more than $8.7 million in financial assistance to people in need in Georgia. This support helped people stay in their homes, keep the electric, the gas and the water turned on, or paid other bills; thereby giving people help and offering them hope. That financial assistance and the food, clothing, furniture, household furnishings, cars, and professional services they provided had a direct economic impact on poverty and need in Georgia of nearly $17 million.

SVdP’s volunteers, numbering more than 4,000, work in 70 Conferences in 55 counties throughout North and Middle Georgia, providing financial assistance, goods and services through 38 food pantries, 10 Thrift Stores and four Family Support Centers. These volunteers gave more than 320,000 hours of service, helping nearly 185,000 people in 2010.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Atlanta empowers people, regardless of their background, ethnicity, or faith, to achieve self-sufficiency by offering financial, material, educational, and spiritual support and by collaborating with others to develop and deliver programs and services that help those in need.