News

The IJP Conference hosted a drive for home goods and clothing on Saturday, May 7, 2022 from 8 am to 1 pm. The effort drew people from across the South Suburbs as it filled the SVDP trailer to the brim. 

Father Kris Paluch, the soon to be pastor of the new parish of Infant Jesus of Prague, St. Ireneaus, and St. Lawrence O’Toole stopped to meet Conference members. 
The drive offered the opportunity for Conference members to gather in-person for friendship and service.

Pictured above from left to right are Mike Hoffman, Karen Kristofik, Mike Lamb, soon to be Pastor – Fr. Kris Paluch, Brenda Wallace, Leslie Dudley, Denise Mandichak, Bernie Hoffman, and Pam Bartusiewicz.

There are several Donation Drives this weekend, May 14 & 15, at St. Pascal, 3935 N Melvina, Chicago; Sts. Joseph & Francis Xavier, 1747 Lake Street, Wilmette; and Queen of Angels, 4520 N Western Avenue, Chicago. Please remember to donate with dignity gently used items. To see upcoming Donation Drives please visit our website at https://stvincentdepaulchicago.org/donation-events/

Moms are the heart of the home. They are the tender ever giving presence to their children. Their tenderness is matched by their strength. A mother gives birth and immediately tends to the tiny life that has just brightened the world. Giving every moment to care for their infant. Giving every ounce of energy for the benefit of the life she has brought into the world.

On this Mother’s Day, let us be grateful for intimate balance of tenderness and strength our mothers put forth to raise us. Whether they have birthed us, or took on the title of mom to someone who needed a mom, a mother’s love is unending, and unconditional.

Mother’s hold in their hearts a very special love for their child that never ends, it just grows. They feel the joy of the milestones and achievements. They ache with sadness ten fold when their child is hurt or disappointed.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a role model for all mothers. Many moms try to live up to the standard that Mary presented to us in raising Jesus. We must remember that moms come in all varieties, have different styles of mothering, and hold strengths and weaknesses in different areas. God knew what he was doing when he made us all different. The uniqueness of every mother allows for children to grow and be nurtured to be the best version of them.

On this Mother’s Day let us remember our mothers, let us be grateful for the gift of life they gave us. As adults, let us know them as people and appreciate the individualism they provide.

The strength of a mother is the beating heart of the home. Their love allows us as their children to grow and to have someone to always count on during our life.

Let us celebrate the mere fact that no matter what life holds for any of us, there’s always that person to go to we call mom. And when our mom’s have journeyed to heaven, hold close in your heart that she made you and you will endure because her love is ever lasting.

God Bless,

Harry Ohde, Volunteer President/CEO

Society of St. Vincent de Paul Chicago-ADC

With Spring cleaning in full swing, please consider donating with dignity your gently used items at one of our upcoming Donation Weekend Events. For this upcoming May 7 & 8 weekend, we have one donation drive at Infant Jesus of Prague, 1131 Douglas Avenue, Flossmoor.

To see upcoming Donation Drives please visit our website at https://stvincentdepaulchicago.org/donation-events/.

Thank you for your support.

As you begin your Spring cleaning, please consider donating with dignity your gently used items at one of our upcoming Donation Weekend Events.
For this upcoming April 30-May 1 weekend, we have two donation drives: St. Athanius, 1615 Lincoln in Evanston and St. Paul the Apostle, 6401 Gages Lake Road in Gurnee. To see upcoming Donation Drives please visit our website at https://stvincentdepaulchicago.org/donation-events/

Thank you for your support.

Dear Vincentians,

On this last weekend in April, we invite all Vincentians to celebrate Ozanam Sunday.

Frédéric Ozanam was born on April 23, 1813, in Milan, Italy. On April 23, 1833, Frédéric and six friends founded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Also, St. Vincent de Paul was born on April 24, 1581. So to commemorate these events the Society in the United States celebrates the last Sunday of April as Ozanam Sunday.

Frédéric was a husband, father, professor and servant of the poor. He founded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul as a young student with others of the Sorbonne, University of Paris.

Frédéric Ozanam left his home in France, in the Fall of 1831, for Paris. He registered in the School of Law at the Sorbonne, University of Paris. He worked together with Mr. Emmanuel Bailly, editor of the Tribune Catholique, in bringing back a student organization which had been suspended during the revolutionary activity of July 1830. They called their new organization “The Conference of History.” The group met on Saturdays to discuss any and everything, but no politics.

At one of their meetings, a student questioned Frédéric and the practicing Catholics in attendance. The student said that the “Catholic Church had done a lot of good work in the past”, but “What does the Catholic Church do now?” Frédéric called for a meeting in Mr. Bailly’s office with his six friends on April 23, 1833. This was his 20th birthday. Inspired by their words, Frédéric decided to begin the “Conference of Charity” to assist the poor. Mr. Bailly, the married layman, was chosen to be the first President. Shortly thereafter, they changed the organization’s name to The Society of St. Vincent de Paul in honor of their patron.

Today, the Society has grown to over 800,000 in over 150 countries worldwide. The members operate through “conferences”. A conference may be based out of a church, community center, school, hospital, etc., and is composed of volunteers who dedicate their time and resources to help those in need in their community.

God Bless,

Harry Ohde – President/CEO

Society of St. Vincent de Paul Chicago-ADC

This weekend there are several Donation Drives scheduled starting today, Friday, April 22, at St. Theresa, 433 Benton Street, Palatine.

Then on Saturday, April 23 & 24, the St. Theresa Donation Drive continues and St. Linus, 10300 S Lawler Avenue, Oak Lawn, and St. Daniel the Prophet, 5300 S Natoma, Chicago begin.

Please remember to donate with dignity gently used items. To see upcoming Donation Drives please visit our website at https://stvincentdepaulchicago.org/donation-events/

This week is Earth Week and the theme is “Invest In Our Planet”. So what does Earth Week have to do with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul you might ask? Well, let us share a few informational facts and tidbits.

During Earth Week, we are educated through social media, television, podcasts, and so on, on our environment, climate change, recycling, etc. Our Homeless Friends in Need encounter many of today’s environmental hazards from soil and water contamination, air and noise pollution, and being exposed to severe weather events.

Because of climate change, our Homeless Friends in Need are susceptible to illness and death, again mainly because of the air pollution and any underlying respiratory and cardiovascular conditions which they might have that are most likely never seen by a medical professional. Sadly, those that are sheltered or unsheltered, the short- and long-term homeless, will experience negative health outcomes.

We have been able to take every day recyclable items and make them into something useful for the homeless. At the Mt. Greenwood Community Church they started a “beds for the Homeless ministry. They help the homeless by recycling plastic bags into mats! They meet once a week and make mats that provide a bit of cushion and are moisture resistant on a cold wet ground.

A local carpenter in Chicago was featured on ABC7 Chicago in November 2020. He was born and raised in the Robert Taylor Homes and now, besides being a carpenter for a living, builds tiny homes for the homeless. He uses extra pieces of scrap materials from jobs that will be tossed out and purchases necessary items with donations he receives, to build tiny “studio” size buildings for the many who live on the street.

So how can you help our environment and our Homeless Friends in Need:

·     Save your plastic grocery store bags. Find a local ministry that makes plastic mats for the homeless. Did you know it takes hundreds of bags to make a mat? These ministries can never have enough.

·     For those who are carpenters, reach out and lend a hand, use your experience and consider donating time to help build small shelters for the homeless. Reach out to community organizations. See if there’s a need for this type of project in your community. If not, find a place that has a need.

·     For the rest of us, maybe we don’t use plastic bags at the grocery store because we have our own reusable bags. Maybe we are not builders. So how can we help? A monetary donation to Investing in Our Homeless Friends in Need program can help a thousand times over. Something as small as $5 can mean the world to someone who has nothing.

We hope during Earth Week you will “Invest In Our Planet” and consider “Investing in Our Homeless Friends in Need”. Click on the link below to make a difference in someone’s life.

Be a part of something special.

https://stvincentdepaulchicago.networkforgood.com/projects/158721-investing-in-our-homeless-friends-in-need

Mother’s Day …. A yearly celebration where we celebrate that special woman in our lives who has loved us unconditionally

SVdP Chicago is excited to offer a Mother’s Day card for that special woman in your life this Mother’s Day. Someone’s mother could be an Aunt, Grandmother, Friend, etc. Whoever this special person is, let her know that you’re thinking of her this Mother’s Day and appreciate everything she has done for you with this unique, one-of-a-kind card.

Proceeds from the sale of these cards will go towards providing clothing, food and other necessities to help our friends in need.

We will hand address and sign the card/s from YOU! This is a 5×7 double sided full color professionally printed card (see above) that will be mailed in a red envelope. The cards are $10 each.

Let’s work together to to eliminate homelessness in Chicago and Cook and Lake Counties in Illinois in 2022.

Thank you in advance for your kindness and support.

CLICK HERE to order your Mother’s Day Card today!

This weekend there is a Donation Drive scheduled at St. Raphel the Archangel, 4000 N Route 45, Old Mill Creek, IL 60046. Please remember to donate with dignity gently used items. To see upcoming Donation Drives please visit our website at https://stvincentdepaulchicago.org/donation-events/