ASH WEDNESDAY MASS AT L.A. STORE

Society board president Claire Padama applies ashes to a thrift store employee at the Ash Wednesday Mass at the Society's Los Angeles thrift store. What are you giving up/doing special for Lent?

HAAS DONATES $25,000 TO WINTER SHELTER

Oxnard, March 4, 2014 – The Gene Haas Foundation of Oxnard recently gave $25,000 to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s West County Winter Warming Shelter in Ventura to support the shelter’s operating expenses. The shelter provides meals, showers and a warm, safe place to sleep for men, women and children from December first until March 31, annually.The shelter rotates yearly between Oxnard and Ventura’s National Guard Armories.

Peter Zierhut, the Gene Haas Foundation’s manager said, “Haas is committed to try and eradicate homelessness in Ventura County.” Gene Haas’ sister Joanne Haas, the foundation’s  representative, said, “Our foundation is happy to partner with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to provide for the most vulnerable in our local community.”

The local society’s executive director David Fields said the society is actively seeking permanent housing for the neediest clients of the Winter Warming Shelter. “No one, especially families with children, should have to sleep out in the cold,” Fields said.

Photo: (left to right): Peter Zierhut, Gene Haas Foundation manager; Joanne Haas, Gene Haas Foundation representative; David Garcia, the society’s deputy executive director; Barbara Gunning, society senior director of advancement; Laura Roberts, society senior program manager for the shelter; David Fields, executive director of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Council of Los Angeles.

1,000 HOMES CAMPAIGN & THE SOCIETY

Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Council of Los Angeles’ Cardinal Manning Center (CMC) is part of the 100,000 Homes Campaign, a national movement of communities working together to find permanent homes for 100,000 of the country’s most vulnerable homeless individuals and families.  

The following video on CBS' 60-Minutes highlights Nashville’s 100,000 Homes Campaign and shows the benefit of housing the homeless to both the individual and to the country.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/100000-homes-housing-homeless-saves-money/

 

This campaign in Los Angeles is led by Downtown Pathway Home’s Coordinated Entry System of which CMC is part.  CMC provides bridge housing (transitional) for the most vulnerable homeless individuals who are risk of dying on the streets because of the fragility of their health, including chronic medical condition, mental illness and substance abuse, while waiting on permanent housing. During their stay at CMC, staff works with the residents in the following ways:

• Acquire documentation necessary to obtain housing (ID, birth certificates, social security cards)
• Apply for benefits they are eligible for, such as social security income.
• Provide counseling to address mental illness, addiction, and decision-making processes
•  Case management to address barriers that caused homelessness.
• Promote self-worth, socialization skills, life skills, and dignify their human experience through group activities.
• Provide shelter, meals, showers, a safe and clean place to call home and build a support system before moving into their own apartments.

ST. VINCENT'S FAMILY HOUSING VALENTINES

At St. Vincent's Family Housing February 11, 2014, Love That Dog, a pet therapy group, hosted a Valentine’s special event.  Love That Dog brought youth volunteers who worked with the children and parents at family housing to make cards that will be given to a young girl who is fighting cancer and to elderly patients at a veteran's hospital.  The moms were treated to a "spa evening" on site. A delicious dinner was also provided. 

OLD MISSION SANTA INES VISITS L.A. COUNCIL

Old Mission Santa Ines Conference in Solvang of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul visited the Los Angeles council Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014, for a tour of the administrative offices, thrift store and Skid Row's Cardinal Manning Center housing homeless men.  Thank you for visiting from Solvang! 

UNIVISION AT L.A. STORE - 4:30 AM!

Univision T.V. network came to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Council of Los Angeles' L.A. thrift store at 4:30 a.m. this morning to shoot live news segments intermittently for two hours highlighting Los Angeles School District's student volunteers' efforts this Saturday to help the homeless in our area. Assistant executive director Susana Santana was interviewed by Univision reporter Cecelia Bogran on the Society's efforts to help the impoverished. Also interviewed were two homeless women the Society is helping to find housing and furniture: Monica and Maria. Hopefully the Univision audience is more informed as to the plight of the homeless .

Photos: (Top) Cecilia Bogran, Susana Santana and students (Bottom) Vincentians Sara Magee and Adrian Dena assist Monica, to the right, with housing and furniture.  Happy shopping Monica!

MELANCONS' GIFT TO THE CMC CLEANS UP

Paul and Nadine Melancon made a generous gift to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Council of Los Angeles' Cardinal Manning Center (CMC) on Skid Row in Los Angeles: a brand new washer and dryer set to replace old, poorly functioning units. The ribbon cutting ceremony and blessing of the units was Thursday,  January 30, 2014 with Nadine Melancon attending the opening. She was presented with a Thank You Gift bamboo plant in the shape of a heart from the CMC staff to remind Nadine and Paul of the CMC's gratitude. Thank you Paul and Nadine!

Photos: (Top) Society staff and Rev. Pedro Villarroya join Nadine in cutting the ribbon (Bottom) Society executive director David Fields, Nadine Melancon and board president Claire Padama.