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Moises and Rosa have been long-time St. Vincent de Paul—Madison clients. On one September afternoon, the couple visited the Food Pantry and Charitable Pharmacy using our newest service, a free Uber ride!

Thanks to a partnership with Project Finish Line, our Charitable Pharmacy is proud to offer patients free rides to and from their COVID-19 vaccinations. As transportation is a common barrier to receiving healthcare, offering free rides increases the pharmacy’s accessibility.

The couple’s afternoon began with a phone call from a pharmacy volunteer in their preferred language, Spanish. The volunteer confirmed the plans that Uber would pick up the couple and bring them to St. Vincent de Paul. Upon arrival, the car first accessed the drive-through Food Pantry and was loaded with fresh produce, bakery, meat, eggs and pantry staples.

Talking with a volunteer pharmacist, the couple checked into the pharmacy and awaited Moises’ prescriptions. After discussing his current health, Moises received his flu vaccine. In previous weeks, the couple were one of dozens of patients to receive their first and second doses of a COVID-19 vaccine through our pharmacy.

In talking with the couple, volunteers heard that their granddaughter had been sleeping on the floor. Was the couple aware St. Vincent de Paul provides furniture vouchers? Staff contacted the couple the next morning to connect them with a furniture voucher so their granddaughter could receive an air mattress.

Throughout the afternoon a pharmacy volunteer provided Spanish translation for the couple to ensure they received the correct information. Another pharmacy volunteer brought Moises his prescriptions. With photos and diagrams, she explained each medication and any new changes. The bottles contained instructional stickers in Spanish and clear patient guidelines.

After receiving a flu vaccine, after loading the car full of pantry staples, after receiving essential medications, after talking with staff and volunteers about their current situation, the couple went back into the Uber to head home.

St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy has COVID-19 vaccines and information, for free! We also have flu shots available. Schedule your appointment to protect yourself, your family and the ones you love. Click the link below or call (608) 292-2549 to schedule your COVID-19 vaccine. We have resumed our COVID-19 testing. You can also refer here for testing locations in Dane County. What to do if you test positive.

Schedule your COVID-19 vaccine here.

Schedule your COVID-19 test here.

Do you need a ride to your COVID-19 vaccine appointment? Through Uber, we can pick you up. Please call: (608) 268-0355.

St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy is open:

St. Vincent de Paul Pharmacy is committed to keep their doors open. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Charitable Pharmacy staff and volunteers have kept doors open, provided free medications, COVID-19 vaccines and information to Dane County neighbors in need.

Poverty never takes a day off. It is a relentless burden that causes anxiety and distress – especially for children. By becoming a Sustaining Samaritan, you’ll give help and hope to neighbors in need all year long! Here are five reasons donors choose to give monthly:

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Want to increase your monthly gift? Please email or call Eric Fleming, Director of Development, at (608) 278-2920 x34, or email efleming@svdpmadison.org.

Since May, the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry has delivered free, renal-diet-friendly foods monthly for 50+ patients, who have failing kidneys.

Berkley French identified a need. She reached out to St. Vincent de Paul — Madison who helped her and Fresenius Kidney Care find a solution for dialysis patients at their Fitchburg clinic.

“Many of our patients face barriers ranging from fatigue (12+ hours of treatment every week), transportation and physical mobility difficulties, limited diets. Most do not have jobs,” Berkley said. “The St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry is able to provide foods that support healthy kidneys and deliver it right to our patients at the clinic.”

“When Berkley reached out, we said, ‘Absolutely, let’s make this happen,’” said Chris Kane, St. Vincent de Paul — Madison Director of Client Services. “This is a great way to literally help our neighbors in need.”

“This has been awesome to see and very impactful,” Berkley added. “Hopefully, we can continue to learn our patients’ needs and also expand to our sister clinic in the future.”

 

Goods storage for people experiencing homelessness returns after fire last fall

Vinny’s Lockers 2 opened in July, following a building remodel project to replace the original Vinny’s Lockers, which was lost to fire last November. This program, the only one of its kind in Dane County, provides long-term storage of goods for people experiencing homelessness.

Volunteers helping clients move items into Vinny’s Lockers 2 on opening day!

The original Vinny’s Lockers building was demolished and removed after the fire. St. Vincent de Paul facilities staff spent months remodeling a building on the same site to suit the needs of the program.

Clients using Vinny’s Lockers often store items such as off-season clothing, tools or household goods. People who lost goods in the fire last fall received St. Vinny’s Thrift Store vouchers and box store gift cards to replace their belongings.

“It was a great relief to have a place to store my things when I was homeless and jobless,” said Marco*, who had made use of Vinny’s Lockers. “It allowed me to save some important documents and was a safe place to save some of my valuable items. Vinny’s Lockers helped me a lot.”

To learn more, please visit: Vinny’s Lockers

 

Volunteer-run Lacy Garden fosters community, promotes healthy living

St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry shopper Donna delighted in the variety and freshness of vegetables she received during a recent pantry visit. “My family loves the tomatoes best,” Donna noted. “And it’s fresher than what I could get at the grocery store!”

Fresh is correct. Cabbages, broccoli, beans, tomatoes and more are grown at the Lacy Food Pantry Garden in Fitchburg. The vegetables arrive at the pantry the evening of their harvest and are distributed to clients within a day or two. The Lacy Garden, one of several food pantry gardens in Dane County, produces an average of about 18,000 pounds of fresh vegetables for the food pantry each year. It is the only pantry garden that provides produce exclusively to the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry.

The Lacy Garden is run entirely by volunteers, with hundreds of individuals planting, weeding, watering and harvesting each year from April through October. Some volunteer as individuals or family groups; others come from area businesses or schools to work together for a good cause.

“My affiliation with Lacy Garden has been deeply satisfying,” said Peg O’Donoghue, Volunteer Coordinator for Lacy Garden. “It is a story of ingenuity, generosity and community.”

“Co-founders Ken Witte and Emmett Schulte devised a way of bringing nutritious produce to local food pantries nearly 25 years ago. Generosity from Phil and Winnie Lacy who donated farm acreage for cultivation 22 years ago, continuing to today. And it is community-built by volunteers, those who have served for many years and those who are just finding the Lacy Garden,” said O’Donoghue.

“It is a privilege to witness God’s Blessing each year,” affirmed Tom Parslow, Garden Leader. “And to watch these small seeds emerge, grow and mature into nutrient filled produce is a true miracle.”

Scholarships propel students Kareena and Juan Carlos and their families to pursue shared dreams.

Juan Carlos graduated from Madison East High School in 2019. Kareena graduated from LaFollette High School this year. Both know that a college education could help them escape poverty and allow them to assist their families which remain in need. But could they achieve their dreams of becoming the first college graduates in their families?

Every academic year, the Youth Service Council (YSC) of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul—Madison provides post-high school scholarships to area students whose families have lower incomes. In addition, the family of each scholarship recipient receives material support in the form of rent aid and grocery store gift cards.

YSC scholar Juan Carlos

Catholic high school students across Dane County join the YSC to share faith, fellowship, and opportunities for service with other area teens. YSC members say that raising money to provide scholarships for students who would otherwise have difficulty attending college is their most meaningful project each year.

“Tonight mattered,” explained YSC member Peyton, describing the group’s review of each application to determine how to allocate the funds raised to students in need and their families. “We gave money in a way that is tailored to each family’s needs.”

Kareena and Juan Carlos attest to the importance of the assistance for their families in addition to the help with tuition.

“Since I could, I’ve worked to make money to help my family,” Kareena shared. “This scholarship will help my family have money for rent and for food. That makes it a lot easier for me to focus on my studies.”

Juan Carlos lives with his sister and her family. His father died when he was eight, and his mother lives in Mexico. He agrees the added support helps him stay in college.

“I knew that I wanted to do more studying after high school, and it was going to be hard. I don’t have my parents with me. It’s hard to pay for college – it’s really expensive. The extra money for my family allows me to focus more and keep my mind off of money problems.”

Juan Carlos will complete the liberal arts transfer program at Madison College this fall, then plans to finish his engineering studies at UW-Madison. Kareena starts at UW-Madison this fall and intends to pursue studies in health science.

Both students are grateful to St. Vincent de Paul and the wider community’s support. They look forward to a brighter  future when they can help their families and community.