St. Vincent de Paul Society

 

Need help? Contact our Call Centre on 1800 606 724.

The Kingswood Conference – meets each Tuesday night at 7:30 pm.

We assist the needy of our Parish. We are always seeking new members who are fully committed to the Society. There are several St. Vincent de Paul Family Centres within our region where you can purchase good quality second hand items, these centres are always seeking donations of clothing and furniture.

vinnies-helpinghands1Our Vision
The St. Vincent de Paul Society aspires to be recognised as a caring Catholic Charity offering “a hand up” to people in need. We do this by respecting their dignity, sharing our hope, and encouraging them to take control of their own destiny.

vinnies-helpinghands2Our Mission
The Society is a lay Catholic organisation that aspires to live the gospel message by serving Christ in the poor with love, respect, justice, hope and joy, and by working to shape a more just and compassionate society.
vinnies-helpinghands3Our Aspiration
An Australian transformed by compassion and built on justice.

Our Key Values

  • Commitment – Loyalty in serving to our mission vision and values.
  • Compassion – Welcoming and serving all with understanding and without judgement.
  • Respect – Service to all regardless of creed, ethnic or social background, health, gender or political opinions.
  • Integrity – Promoting, maintaining and adhering to our mission, vision and values.
  • Empathy – Establishing relationships based on respect, trust, friendshipand perception.
  • Advocacy – Working to transform the causes of poverty and challenging the causes of human injustice.
  • Courage – Encouraging spiritual growth, welcoming innovation and giving hope for the future.

History

The Society was founded when Frederic Ozanam gathered several friends and on the 23rd of April 1833, they met to decide what they could do to assist the poor. After the meeting Frederic and his flat mate took the remainder of their wood supply and gave it to a widow. These young men attracted the comment, “What can seven young men hope to achieve in alleviating the suffering of Paris?” Fortunately Frederic paid little heed to their comments, determined to satisfy his own conscience that he was doing what he could to bear witness to his Christian upbringing by assisting those less fortunate in the community.

The first Australian Conference was formed in Victoria on 5th March 1854. A Conference was formed at St. Patrick’s Church Hill Sydney on 24 July 1881.

For further information about the Society please visit www.vinnies.org.au.