By Ronald Lee
St. Joseph Conference
Society of St. Vincent de Paul
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul volunteers are called “Vincentians.” We used to refer to the people we help as “clients,” but now we call them “neighbors.” This new term distances us from the professionalized relationships fostered by social workers, lawyers, and others who work in the helping professions.
The word “neighbor” also closely ties us to the sense in which Jesus illustrated the term in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Our neighbors are not just those who are part of our tribe, group, or clan. Vincentians are members of the local Church who help all of those in our community who find themselves in difficult circumstances.
I want to describe for you a typical day in the life of the Society in the Diocese of Lincoln. Our call center volunteers answer our Helpline (402-435-7968) from 10 a.m. to noon every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and on Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. We receive more than 4,000 calls per year.
The call center epitomizes our distinction between “client” and “neighbor.” Many other agencies require those seeking assistance to leave messages and then wait – often for more than a week – to find out if they will receive help. Vincentian call takers, by contrast, answer every call live. Everyone who calls speaks to a volunteer. We take down the neighbor’s information, enter it into our database, and offer the following:
> “If we can help you today, we will call you back in the next couple of hours. If you are not chosen for help today, please feel free to call back tomorrow. We may be able to help you then.”
> “Here are some suggestions for other organizations to contact that may be able to help you.”
> After our call center triages the calls for that day and decides who is most urgently in need of help, those selected are called back. Within 24 hours, a team of two Vincentians will visit that neighbor’s home. We provide aid very quickly. This is important, because those who call us are living under a great deal of stress. You can imagine what it is like to have an eviction or disconnect notice, and not know if your family is going to be homeless or without power or heat. When we show up, we offer reassurance that dramatically lowers the family’s anxiety level.
Of the 4,000 calls we receive annually, our home visit teams meet and help about 1,000 families a year. Our ministry centers on emergency financial relief. Those who call need assistance paying rent and utilities, buying gasoline, getting food, and affording beds and furniture.
These are the most common requests, but we have provided many other forms of aid if they are appropriate – medication co-pays, car repairs, work boots, state IDs, license plates and registration, car insurance, children’s clothing, and so on.
So, how do Vincentians conduct a home visit? Each weekday, home visit teams of two are assembled for afternoon and evening visits. Each team is assigned two or three cases. Our call center triages that day’s requests based on the number of teams available.
Each team receives a printout of information the call center has gathered from the neighbor seeking assistance. This includes basic demographic information (name, birth date, number of adults and children in the household, and information on any previous help we have provided), a description of the current situation, and the request for aid. The teams then call these neighbors and set up appointments to visit that day or evening. You may find this surprising, but very few organizations have “boots on the ground.” Most agencies do their work online, over the telephone, or by having clients visit their office. St. Vincent de Paul volunteers go to the homes of those we help.
When I first started doing this work, I was worried that our neighbors might be reluctant to have us come to their homes. The very opposite is the case. We almost always are welcomed with open arms. These families are so glad that someone has come so quickly to help. We work with their schedule and come to meet them where they are. Typically, we sit in the living room or around the kitchen table and ask them to tell us about their situation.
In many social-service situations, a client’s needs must fit into a set of pre-determined categories – “we can do this, but we cannot do that.” When dealing with public money and government appropriations, this kind of accountability is perfectly understandable. Unfortunately, actual family circumstances often defy these classifications. For instance, there will be a category for rent, but not rent deposits. Homeless families seeking housing often need help with rent deposits. Few social-service agencies help with car repairs, which are often essential for employment and medical visits.
We empower our home visit team members to make decisions. Parish conferences have set guidelines for how much a team can spend on an ordinary case. This amount ranges from $300 to $500. We spend more for dire circumstances. In most cases, the visiting team can make a reasonably quick decision. We confirm information with landlords, utility companies, and other payees, but this typically happens within 48 hours. Our guarantee alone usually prevents shutoffs and halts eviction processes. Our treasurers make sure that payments are received within the week.
We tell the families we visit that we are Catholic, and ask if they are comfortable saying a prayer with us. Most of the time the response is an enthusiastic yes. Because we help everyone regardless of creed, we often visit neighbors who are non-Christians. We work frequently with refugees who may be Muslim or Hindu. We are respectful of their cultural backgrounds.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer or supporting our work financially, there are St. Vincent de Paul Conferences in the following parishes: St. Joseph in Beatrice, Blessed Sacrament, Cathedral of the Risen Christ, Cristo Rey, North American Martyrs, St. John, St. Joseph, St. Michael, St. Patrick, St. Peter and St. Teresa in Lincoln, and St. Vincent de Paul in Seward.
