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In August 2021, the National Council of the U.S., Society of St. Vincent de Paul approved the National Safeguarding Policy for all Member Councils to protect the children and vulnerable adults who come to us for help from abuse or exploitation. In 2022, the Madison Diocesan Council and the District Council of Madison of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul each passed a Safeguarding Policy to define our procedures and expectations to fulfill this important charge.

District Council of Madison Safeguarding Policy

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District Council Of Madison Safeguarding Policy FINAL

Consejo de Distrito de Madison Política de Salvaguardia

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Consejo De Distrito De Madison Política De Salvaguardia FINAL

Diocesan Council of Madison Safeguarding Policies:

Dear friends,

As we take time to reflect on 2023, one word comes to mind; MIRACLE.

You are – and truly have been – a miracle to our neighbors in need. You have transformed scarcity into abundance. 

You were there despite a 104% increase in families needing food, medicine, clothing, furniture, and support. In 2023, no one seeking help from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Madison was turned away. Thank you for your compassion for every one of these families.

You are part of a caring community of supporters who believe all people deserve dignity.

In fact, for the first time in her life, Angela has stability thanks to you.

For nearly four decades Angela has struggled with abuse, abandonment, gang violence, mental health issues, and homelessness. Sadly, her four children have also experienced many of these same challenges. Angela is strong and resilient, but needed someone to walk with her and support her to a better tomorrow for her and her kids.

When Angela’s landlord refused to renew her lease and issued an eviction notice, she found her way to the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Program.

Because of you, she feels confident taking the next steps in her life. She hopes her story of overcoming challenging times gives someone in a similar situation hope and inspiration to keep moving forward. 

Angela connected with the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Program for help to appeal her eviction notice and prevent her family from becoming homeless. The support – both physical and emotional – she receives allows her to cover her basic needs and focus on goals that will ensure her family’s stability.

The St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Program exists because of your support. You are a miracle.

Program Director Priscilla Lentini is a passionate advocate for families. She provides them with a listening ear and a boost of encouragement as well as connecting them to legal assistance, quality childcare, employment, and affordable car repair.

Thanks to you, Angela has someone to walk alongside her, someone watching her back to guide her towards the proper resources that will bring restoration and balance in her life.

“When you’re in a place out of your control, and someone tells you it’s going to be okay; it’s powerful,” Angela said. “That is the kind of stuff I need: coping, nurturing. It is healing and fulfilling.”

With you, moms like Angela don’t have to face their challenges alone. They’re able to confidently take the next steps in their life, knowing that they have a real support system around them. It’s a change that transforms their life and the lives of their children.

Thank you for being a miracle in 2023.

In gratitude for you,

 

 

Julie Bennett

CEO & Executive Director

 

*Name changed to protect neighbor’s privacy.

2023 Year-End Giving Deadlines:

If you haven’t made your gift yet and are ready to offer hope and help before year-end, visit: svdpmadison.org/donate

ConnectRx Wisconsin is a program that provides support to African-American / Black high-risk moms during pregnancy and up to one year after the birth of their child.

Community health workers at ConnectRx Wisconsin have their work cut out for them. Babies born to Black mothers in Dane County are two times more likely to be born at low birth weight, often leading to significant health challenges and higher mortality rates.

Thanks to you, community health workers at ConnectRx Wisconsin have an important ally in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Madison. You are saving lives and improving long term health for our fragile neighbors.

Addressing non-medical needs to improve overall health

ConnectRx Wisconsin was designed to address social determinants of health like transportation, housing and food insecurity for specifically Black moms and provide them with support so they and their babies can thrive. Staff show up wherever their patients needs them to be. They’ll attend housing hearings, write letters of recommendation, loan out technology so clients can apply for jobs, or pick up food and personal care items for patients; a combination of advocacy and education.

These community health workers can rely on St. Vincent de Paul — Madison as full-service partners to fulfill requests for clothing, furniture and food. Some community health workers at ConnectRx Wisconsin pick up eight to ten orders of food from our food pantry for their patients each week. Pantry2Home (online food ordering system) is an especially meaningful service as it saves time and gives patients the flexibility to choose their own food. The pantry and particularly Pantry2Home have been positive “gamechangers” for patients.

Continued benefits of online ordering

You are making a difference today that will last generations.

Nutritious food is essential for maternal and infant health. For moms on limited incomes, it’s difficult to afford high quality produce, meat and pantry staples. Transportation and a lack of money are two of the biggest hurdles patients face.

Access to quality food is especially challenging when moms don’t have reliable transportation, and it’s difficult to travel by public transportation with small children. Pantry2Home saves time for neighbors in need, eliminates food waste, and meets any dietary restrictions or cultural preferences.

Being able to come to the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry and drive up to a special spot to get the online orders has saved a lot of time for ConnectRx Wisconsin staff. Since the pantry also provides diapers, wipes and some household items, it becomes a helpful one-stop-shop.

In 18 months, ConnectRx Wisconsin has welcomed 137 babies into the world and celebrated 25 first birthdays. You have helped make this happen.

You have helped…

You have helped fill hundreds of online orders containing fresh produce, pantry staples, baking supplies, diapers and household cleaners since Pantry2Home’s inception. Neighbors either pick up these orders in-person at the pantry or schedule an at-home delivery. Since August 2023…

* Names changed to protect the patient’s privacy.

The St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry is filled with some wonderful people: retired couples, college students, parents with afternoons to spare. Another group of valuable volunteers are groups! Whether corporate teams, church groups, or clubs, if you have time to spare, your help will be greatly appreciated. Lisa is a longtime volunteer at the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry. She shares how she got involved, what she likes about volunteering and how her workplace supports us as well.

1. How did you first become involved with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Madison?

In 2016, I joined AprilAire. Within the first week, my manager encouraged me to join a team of employees volunteering at the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry. The great experience I had helping people shop the pantry and getting to know my coworkers was the first of what became many evenings volunteering over the years.

2. How long have you been volunteering?

I’ve been volunteering since 2016. I volunteered at the food pantry during the pre-COVID years when people shopped at the pantry and now as people drive through to pick up food.

3. What do you do as a volunteer?

I have helped carry boxes of cold items as well as bags of bread, fruits, and vegetables to cars but my favorite job has been directing traffic into the pantry. When we are loading food into cars we don’t usually get to interact with people driving through, but when directing traffic you get a smile as people are moving into the final stretch of the pick-up line and often a wave when they have their food and are heading home.

4. Are there any special days that stand out to you as a pantry volunteer?

In terms of group volunteering I’m told Thursdays are generally the busiest day of the week and time for the pantry. It isn’t unusual to have a line of cars going down the street. Before holidays the line can even wrap back around as people wait to pick up food.

5. What do you do when you’re not volunteering?

I am a marketer and have my dream job working for AprilAire in downtown Madison. I was first attracted to working at Aprilaire for two reasons. First, because I feel really good about what we do. Our mission is to make homes healthy. We offer families all the components of a Healthy Air System to improve the air they breathe in their homes. Second, because one of the company’s values is being a “good neighbor.” Making a difference in our community is engrained in the culture and is genuinely supported at every level of the organization.

6. Can you tell me about AprilAire’s involvement with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Madison and group volunteering?

AprilAire and our parent company, Research Product Corporation, have been long-term supporters of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul – Madison. We provide two food pantry volunteers on Thursdays from 4:00- 6:00 pm, and periodically hold events for employees to donate personal care items for the food pantry or bedding, blankets, and other items to St. Vinny’s Thrift Stores. We also sponsor the annual Care Café fundraising event. In the past we donated backpacks filled with back-to-school supplies for families coming through the food pantry and this fall we are looking into a couple group volunteer events at Lacy Garden to help with the fall harvest and preparing the garden for next spring.

Join the volunteer team! Part-time, flexible positions are available on weekday mornings and afternoons – soon, Saturday mornings too! Visit /join-us/?selected_tab=volunteer-tab or contact Zoe Lavender, Volunteer Coordinator, at zlavender@svdpmadison.org or (608) 442-7200 x71 to help.

Do you believe in miracles? I do.

A sick child leads to a lost job leads to an eviction notice. Two Vincentians visit this neighbor at his home to see how they can help. Another neighbor overhears the conversation through an open window and organizes others in the apartment building to help cover his rent. Two loaves and five fish feed thousands in the Bible story. Two Vincentians and a group of neighbors save a family’s home. Miracles!

Nearly 3,000 households used our food pantry in September. That number grows month after month. Rent increased 14% in Dane County in 2022 and will rise at least another 5% this year. Food prices will rise 6% this year on top of a 10% increase last year. Gas and utility prices remain high. People with limited incomes cannot absorb these cost increases.

Our fiscal year October 2022- September 2023 budget included $320,000 for food and diapers. Yet nearly $900,000 was required to meet the need. Because of your generosity, no hungry neighbor was turned away.

A miracle! You are the miracle that faithfully meets the demand for food and personal care items that is nearly three times higher than it was before the pandemic. I am speechless with gratitude for you.

“The poor you will always have with you” (Mark 14:7). Unfortunately, this prophetic statement has never been more true. Yet because we believe in miracles, we have hope. Hope can come as words or gestures. Hope can also come as food, medicine, clothing, and furniture. When you help the Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Madison, you build hope. Thank you.

Because I believe in miracles, I believe in you.

 

 

 

Julie Bennett
CEO & Executive Director

Spanish-speaking Catholics from several Madison-area parishes began working last fall to establish the first Hispanic Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the Diocese of Madison. On April 24, the group adopted bylaws, elected a president, and chose the name, Conferencia Divina Misericordia, Divine Mercy Conference.

To be well-prepared home visitors serving neighbors in need, the new conference members attended a day-long training on April 22. They learned the history of the Society including its founding in 1833 and its spread to become the largest lay Catholic organization in the world.

These new members join more than 800,000 worldwide Society of St. Vincent de Paul members – organized in conferences – who help provide for the needs of neighbors coping with poverty. There are 18 parish-based conferences in Dane County.

In partnership with established conferences, members of Divine Mercy Conference will make home visits to Spanish-speaking neighbors throughout Madison and surrounding communities. They will assist neighbors in need by providing financial assistance, giving furniture and/or household goods vouchers, directing people to the St. Vincent de Paul — Madison Food Pantry and Charitable Pharmacy, or referring people to other assistive agencies. Most importantly, conference members will share the love of Christ with neighbors by offering a listening ear, kind support and their prayers.

“We are grateful to our newest members to have formed this conference,” Julie Bennett, CEO & Executive Director of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Madison, said. “It will be a gift to Spanish-speaking neighbors to receive care and support from home-visiting members who speak their native language and share cultural traditions. We see growing needs in our community for essentials like food, clothing and medicine. The Divine Mercy Conference will allow us to serve people who speak Spanish with a higher level of dignity and respect. I am awed by their commitment – as I am for all our members who go to people in need to offer help and hope.”

The Divine Mercy Conference invites any Spanish-speaking volunteers who are interested in joining the conference to attend one of their monthly meetings. The conference meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church at 6:00 pm. For more information, please email Membership Director Gayle Westfahl at gwestfahl@svdpmadison.org.

Experts teach about systemic challenges

Members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Madison gathered on April 22 to learn from a panel of experts about the challenges faced by people who are incarcerated and those who are re-entering the community after incarceration. Consisting of conference member volunteers, staff and panelists, the group discussed how they might help people individually within their parish conferences or whether the Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Madison might consider developing a program of support.

Panel experts and discussion topics included:

After hearing from the panelists, participants engaged in small-group discussions.

After hearing from the panelists, participants engaged in small-group discussions about what they had learned, how they might help people, and barriers to becoming involved. Society of St. Vincent de Paul – Madison Associate Executive Director, Amy Overby, facilitated the training and gathered reflections from participants.

“Our conference member volunteers want to better understand the challenges faced by our neighbors leaving incarceration so that we can better walk alongside them. This discussion will guide further steps in this area to address the Vincentian question that shapes all our work “what must be done?” Amy Overby shared.

In tandem with efforts of the Diocese of Madison and other local agencies, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul – Madison will continue exploring challenges faced by people who are incarcerated and those re-entering the community.

 

The St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy dispenses prescriptions to Dane County adults who do not have health insurance. If you are passionate about helping people with their health, especially people who are underserved, then join the volunteer team!

Requirements:

Ready to help? Apply now or contact the pharmacy for more information.

Open positions

Welcome window

Be the friendly face that greets our patients! This position involves answering phone calls, speaking with patients, and greeting them when they enter the pharmacy. Additionally, when patients visit the pharmacy, you will ring up their medications and assist with over-the-counter medicine and products with the help or a pharmacist. You will use pharmacy software to access patient information, track and enter data. This position is ideal for outgoing, extroverted and eager individuals who want to connect with the community we serve.

Prescription filler

In this position, you will help prepare medications for patients. This includes counting pills, scanning, filling and labeling bottles to be checked by the pharmacists. You may also do some light cleaning, restock vials, keep medications organized by looking through expiration dates, and put medications back into their correct place. While no pharmaceutical experience is necessary, you must be detail oriented in this role.

Interpreter

We are always looking for interpreters; particularly Spanish-speaking volunteers, as we have a large number of patients who speak Spanish. As an interpreter, you’ll help patients who might have questions regarding their medication or the pharmacy process. Interpretation may be done over the phone or in-person at the pharmacy.

Updated: 12/29/23

A lifelong volunteer and health care professional, Kathy moved to Madison after nursing school. She spent the bulk of her working career in the NICU at St. Mary’s Hospital. She retired in 2013 and began volunteering at the St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy.

“I knew about the stores,” Kathy said. “I first started in the food pantry and volunteered there for about six months. Then someone told me there was a pharmacy downstairs. So, I came down and stopped going upstairs,” Kathy laughed.

Above and beyond volunteer service

When she began volunteering, Kathy was the “welcome window lady.” She checked patients into the pharmacy and confirmed their prescriptions were ready for pickup. She continues this role now with the curbside process and fields questions from people about the certification process or the pharmacy in general.

Kathy always goes above and beyond her duties as a volunteer. She sees a problem and works to fix it.

For example, she regularly answers calls from people interested in donating items to the pharmacy. For medications the pharmacy can accept, she supplies the needed information for folks to do so. For medical supplies, the pharmacy cannot accept she coordinates with a friend, Mary Dowling, at Sharing Resources Worldwide to donate supplies to medical missions in Honduras.

A while ago, Kathy noticed the supply of expired donated medicines that the pharmacy couldn’t use. Kathy worked out an agreement with Officer Barret R. Erwin at the UW-Madison Police Department to safely dispose of the medications. Thanks to Officer Barret, the station accepts and disposes of the medications for free rather than having the pharmacy pay to dispose of them.

“I just had this thought; UW Police isn’t too far away,” Kathy recalls. “Since we’re a nonprofit, they’ll take the medications for free. I collect the unused medications and coordinate a time to drop them off. If there’s a simple way to take care of something that’s not terribly out of my way, I can do that.”

The best aspects of volunteering

Kathy is grateful the pharmacy accommodates her flexible schedule and that she doesn’t have to find a substitute when she is sick or on vacation. She is grateful for expanding her network, and the best aspects of volunteer have been the people and patients.

“It’s the people. The people you get to know,” Kathy said. “The patients who know your name, especially when they came to the window. They have all been very nice and generous. We laugh a lot.”

“My idea of retirement is that you work or you volunteer at a place so you can expand the group of people that you know,” Kathy continued. “ You have to keep active in retirement. Find your niche and volunteer to share your skills. Find what you want to do and find where you can be helpful.”

A heart to help people

If the pharmacy didn’t exist, it would be a daily struggle for patients with diabetes to find regular medications and more people would end up in the Emergency Room, Kathy said. The care that the pharmacy volunteers and staff provide helps lower patients’ stress.

“I think St. Vincent de Paul is a good organization that works with people who need help,” Kathy said. “Everyone involved is committed to improving the community and helping others. All of the places I volunteer help people with low incomes.”

Besides her longtime commitment to the St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy Kathy has volunteered at Specialty Care Free Clinic in Madison since 2011. As the only free specialty clinic for uninsured patients in the state, the clinic sends numerous patients to the pharmacy for their prescriptions. She also volunteers at the Lacy Food Pantry Garden where she helps plant, grow and harvest produce for distribution at the pantry. She is an avid sewer and donates her handmade quilts to Open Doors for Refugees.

Join the volunteer team! Click here or contact Zoe Lavender, Volunteer Coordinator, at zlavender@svdpmadison.org or (608) 442-7200 x71 to help.