As the weather is turning colder and we are planning our holiday festivities, many people are in need. Help the St. Vincent de Paul Society’s Vincentian Help Desk with items that will benefit individuals and families in our community who have fallen on hard times. With your help the Vincentian Help Desk serves over 14,000 people every year!
Where: 470 Ellis Street at Larkin
When: M-F from 7am to 2:30pm
What: Items we need the most are…..
CLOTHING– We welcome clean, gently used clothes, and especially need the following:
Women’s X-L and Plus size heavy coats and jeans
Men’s new underwear, socks, shirts, shoes, pajamas, coats, hats, sweaters, gloves, belts and robes
FOOD – The following non-perishable items are especially welcome:
Canned vegetables, fruit, meats, tuna, stews, soups and chili
Rice, beans, peanut butter, cereal and pasta
TOOTHPASTE –
We received a donation of 500 toothbrushes and would like to be able to provide full-size tubes of toothpaste to people in the MSC-South homeless shelter. If you are able to donate some or all of these tubes of toothpaste (or money toward the cost of purchasing them), please contact Tim Szarnicki at tszarnicki@svdp-sf.org or 415-977-1270, ext. 3010.
HOUSEHOLD ITEMS– The following items - in working order – help set up a new household:
Can openers, electric frying pans, crock-pots, rice cookers, hot plates, eating utensils, plates and glasses, pots and pans, coffee pots, sheets, towels, bedding, small microwaves and toasters.
*For drop-offs to the Vincentian Desk, please call Daniel at 415-202-9955 if you can ahead of time.
*We are unable to accept furniture drop-offs at the Vincentian Desk; however, you may call 415-908-3656 to schedule a pick-up.
This year the St. Vincent de Paul Society of San Francisco will support more than 150 families through the The Riley Center, a program serving survivors of domestic violence. Through strong community partnerships and the holiday spirit in action, we will have gifts and holiday dinners donated to all our clients. In addition to providing families with gifts and food, we are also requesting donations of “welcome packages” for families entering shelter throughout the year. It is so nice for families to receive a welcome gift of towels, toiletries, fresh pajamas and books to help them begin their shelter experience in an atmosphere of warmth and caring. With this gift we say, “You are safe and welcome in this space. We want the best for you and your family.”
If you are interested in donating a Welcome Package here is what it includes:
For families of two, three, or four:
The cost of each welcome package is approximately $100 depending the size of the family and you are welcome to make a cash donation in lieu of items.
Please contact Tim Szarnicki, SVDP-SF Volunteer Coordinator at tszarnicki@svdp-sf.org for more information or to sign-up.
BRENNAN AWARD LUNCHEON 2011
Honoring Sister Katie O'Shea, CSJ
The luncheon on Thursday, October 13, 2011 at the San Francisco
Marriott Marquis was a wonderful day and we thank all of our sponsors, donors, volunteers and staff for their hard work and support.
For more on this event go to our Brennan Award page.
MSC – South Homeless Shelter Builds Community
The paint on the walls is warm and inviting, decorated with words such as “compassion,” “spirituality” and “justice” – in English and Spanish. The floor sparkles with cleanliness. Dedicated staff members smile as they answer questions for a new guest. The scent of freshly-cooked bacon and eggs drifts from the dining room.
A sign by the registration desk lists the activities for the day: “Substance Abuse Support Group – 2:00 pm,” “Smoking Cessation Support Group – 3:00 pm” “Foot Clinic – 5:00 pm,” “Women’s Support Group – 6:00 pm.”
This is not a hotel; nor is it an all-inclusive retirement home. This is the St. Vincent de Paul Society of San Francisco’s homeless shelter: the Multi-Service Center – South (MSC).
Life on the streets is very dangerous, isolating and frightening. The MSC strives to make a warm and welcoming environment for its guests so they may take the steps to overcome homelessness, poverty and addiction. “The environment has been fashioned so our guests feel like they are not just entering a shelter – they are coming home to a community,” Benedith says.
Yet, the shelter still needs help.
“I ask the community for their presence,” Benedith says.
Volunteers from our community are already breaking down the stigma through service, compassion and commitment to the MSC’s mission. “It takes a lot of good-hearted community volunteers to lend a hand and make a difference,” Benedith says.
Volunteers from corporations such as Google, Charles Schwab, Wells Fargo, the International
Interior Design Association (IIDA), Stone & Youngberg and many others have served countless hours at the shelter. Whether it involved making toiletry kits for the guests, serving dinner or teaching a resume-writing workshop, these dedicated volunteers continue to create a compassionate community for our shelter guests. After three years of hard work, members of the IIDA - Northern California Chapter (IIDA-NC) completed a renovation of the shelter: transforming the sleeping quarters, dining room, reception area and drop-in center into a warm and comforting atmosphere. "We wanted to make this environment home-like and safe,” says Susie Jue, Philanthropy Lead for the IIDA-NC and project Co-Chair.
"It has meant so much to our guests and staff to have received such attention,” Benedith says. "You see how it affects our guests. They see a welcoming environment… a community.”
Wells Fargo has contributed more than 550 hours of community service in the past year, serving meals, making toiletry kits and preparing sack lunches for the shelter guests.
“One of the reasons that keeps me coming back to volunteer is definitely the beautiful smiles I see each time I’m there,” says Peggy Pun, Team Leader at Wells Fargo. “A simple smile or a genuine “thank you” makes me believe what I do does make a difference in someone’s heart.”
People Like Us
Individuals are also making a difference. Dr. Kathy Noordeh and daughter Nazgol Talebi routinely volunteer in the shelter kitchen. “Our favorite memory is from Thanksgiving Day at the MSC,” says Talebi. “The guests were given cell phones to make free calls to their family. It was so beautiful to see one of them connect with his family after eight years. I will never forget the smile on his face while talking to them on the phone.”
Parish conferences are the cornerstone of MSC volunteer efforts. “We believe we are one big caring family trying to help each other, whatever state and wherever we are in our lives,” says Raymond Magpantay, SVDP Conference Member and Vice President, Wells Fargo Bank.
(Above) Renovated sleeping quarters bring peace and strength to shelter guests,
thanks to volunteers from the IIDA-NC.
The words painted on the shelter walls - Justice, Strength, Esperanza - are more than motivating – they are the inherent values of the MSC staff. “It is a way of life,” Benedith says. “All of us deserve compassion, spirituality and justice. That’s what keeps us going. Food and shelter are the first steps, but it’s those values that truly create community and encourage personal growth.”
