Dear Parishioners:

The Parish Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has focused on three areas during 2008: Emergency Assistance, Food Programs, and the NOAH Shelter, Soup Kitchen in Provincetown (SKIP) and the Lower Cape Lunch Program (LOCAL).

The board members of our Conference wish to express their gratitude for the tremendous cooperation and generosity demonstrated by the parishioners of St. Joan of Arc Church, without which our efforts would have been fruitless.  The officers also wish to express their gratitude to the more than 290 associate and contributing members who do much of the necessary work. Members of our parish donated more than 6,000 service hours to the organizational activities and charitable works of the Society during the past year.

1. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR THOSE IN NEED – Volunteers have provided immediate relief and counsel, in confidentiality, on a person-to-person basis. The conference has assisted more than 91 families, disbursing in excess of $68,000 for clothing, shelter, fuel, utility expenses, medical needs plus food (Including over 200 two-day food packs through the Open Pantry and over 100 two-day food packs to other clients).
    

2.  FOOD PROGRAMS – Over 80 volunteers have processed13,125 items of food and personal products valued at almost $16,000 for distribution to our less fortunate neighbors. More than 400 Thanksgiving “Two-day Food Packs” have been distributed. Also, during the past year we provided over $3,300 worth of non-perishable food items to the “LCOC” Main Pantry, “NOAH” Shelter, “SKIP” and “LOCAL” meal programs. Volunteers donated over 1,000 hours to these programs.
    

3.  NOAH SHELTER – P’TOWN SOUP KITCHEN (“SKIP”) – LOWER CAPE LUNCH (“LOCAL”) – More than 90 volunteers donated over 1200 hours to prepare and deliver over 1,000 meals to the Hyannis NOAH shelter for the homeless serving seventy clients and over 400 mid-day meals to P’Town “SKIP” which serves about sixty clients. Support group members also collaborate with other churches in volunteering at the “LOCAL” lunch program

Your generosity has enabled us to provide these additional services:

Christmas Giving Tree – Over 350 gifts were provided in our community for children in families who have been assisted by SVdP in the past year, and for the NOAH Shelter, SKIP, A Baby Center, Children’s Place, Orleans Elementary School and LCOC’s “Santa’s Toy Stop” clients. Volunteers devoted over 40 hours.

Twinning – Our Parish Conference assists Vincentian Conferences, foreign and domestic, that lack resources. Your generosity allows our Parish Conference to "twin" with three foreign SVdP Parish Conferences in Columbia, El Salvador, and Kenya and with our diocesan twin in Attleboro.

Housing With Love Walk – Our Parish Conference made a contribution of over $9,590 to the Cape-Wide Vincentian’s “Housing With Love Walk” District Housing Fund to assist with client housing needs.

Recovery at Canal House – We continued our annual pledge of $2,000, based on availability of funds, in support of appropriate housing for working individuals in recovery from substance abuse.

Habitat for Humanity – As a Habitat for Humanity Covenant Church our March Harvest Sunday donations provided $5,160 for the work of Habitat in our community.

Helping Hands – A ministry of volunteers who provide help with small jobs around one’s apartment or house with things that need fixing, jobs that are too heavy or strenuous, small repairs, and yard work.

Other Charitable Giving – We again provided support for the Bishop’s Charity Ball, Catholic Charities, A Woman’s Concern Pregnancy Resource Center, LOCAL, SKIP, NOAH, Hospice of Cape Cod, CapeAbilities, Cape AIDS Ministry, Children’s Place, and Interfaith Council for the Homeless (IFCH).

If you need any of these services, please call the HELPLINE – 508-255-8080.

If you would like to help us in any of these activities, please call the HELPLINE number, leave your name and telephone number and we will get in touch with you. New volunteers are always needed and welcome.

Our funds have been provided through generous donations from you, our parishioners, on Harvest Sundays, Holy Days of Obligation, and through the poor boxes in conjunction with the generosity of Father Bob, our pastor.

Thank you for helping us to help others,