Desean moved to Madison with her two young boys over ten years ago. With courage and strength, she established a new life for her family. Unwavering support from St. Vincent de Paul — Madison employees and volunteers helped her along the way.

Deasean’s journey began with a stay in a local shelter, before transitioning to SVdP Madison’s St. Elizabeth Ann Seton House. With a safe place to live, Desean received support to begin healing from her past, connect with health services for her family, and help her boys get on the road to school success.

“St. Vinny’s was amazing to us because when we got here, we never had a place where we could go and get all the resources and all the things that we needed,” Deasean said.

The family shopped at the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry and redeemed clothing vouchers to cope with Wisconsin’s weather extremes. She fondly remembers their first Christmas in Seton House.

“I’ll never forget it: they gave us candy canes and hot chocolate, and they gave the kids toys,” Desean remembers. “That meant so much to me because, at the time, we didn’t have anything. But for them to give help to my kids by giving them a toy and making the dream of Santa live on meant so much to me as a parent.”

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Staff at Seton House helped Desean navigate to her own apartment. But the family had absolutely nothing.

“One of the young ladies (a conference home visitor) actually came to my house and looked around to help,” Desean said. “Then, they gave us a broom and a mop. It was just like a group of people helping, and it was amazing. They don’t treat you like you’re a poverty-stricken person. They don’t come in boastful. They’re warm and welcoming, and they do their best to make you feel like you’re part of the community, which is very important.”

Desean turned her apartment into a home with help from the conference home visitors and furniture vouchers to shop at Dig & Save Outlet Store.

“It was a miracle for us when they said we could get a table, chairs, and silverware from Dig and Save,” Desean recalls. “It was everything to us. They had someone who could help us get it to the house. All those things that you think are non-important are very important. What good are things if you can’t get them to your house? What good is having an apartment if you don’t have a table, a chair, or a fork? They stepped up and said, “Hey, we understand.”

After her boys grew older, Desean’s heart led her to become a foster parent. Today, she is parenting six foster children under the age of 7. She continues to visit the food pantry from time to time to get diapers, wipes, and fresh produce.

“I found we could afford a 15-passenger van, so we’re all in the car,” Desean said while laughing. “We will go together, and they’ll slide the food into the car for us. They know us when we pull up, and then when we get home, I bring out the bags and let the kids help me bring it in.“

The service and compassion of SVdP Madison supporters, members, volunteers, and staff, paired with Deasean’s resilience, have made an important and lasting difference in her life and her children’s lives.

“Without St. Vinny’s, I don’t know that I could do what I do,” Desean said. “It takes a village to raise children, and St. Vinny’s has been a part of that village for me.”

*Representational photo