The Society of St. Vincent De Paul
Addresses and Contacts:
1. The Pratt-Whitney Food Center - 3001 E. 30th Street 46218
921-1201 (6 blocks east of Keystone Ave.) Ask for Morris or Vera
2. Client Choice Food Pantry -2111 Spann Ave 46207
687-8266 (1 block S. of English Ave & Harlan St.) Ask for Clarence
3. Warehouse Distribution Center - 1201 E. Maryland St., Indianapolis, IN 46202
687 8258 Ask for Betty or Ralph
Website URL: svdpindy.org
A. Informative Data
Who does your agency serve? The Society of St. Vincent dePaul offers assistance to those who have fallen upon times of hardship and personal crisis. Ways in which SVdP helps include providing food, clothing, housing assistance, utility assistance, furniture, and bus tokens. SVdP is an international organization of lay people with presence in over 135 countries. In Indianapolis, SVdP has been serving people in need since the early 1900's. The Society of St Vincent DePaul was founded by Frederick Ozanam in Paris, France in 1833, and they chose St. Vincent DePaul at the partron and namesake. The Indianapolis SVDP organization is staffed by 100% volunteers; there is no paid management or staff.
What services are offered by your organization?
Two client choice food pantries serve families in Indianapolis; the Pratt-Quigley Center opened in January 2007 and the Spann Avenue has been open since 1999. Families qualify to shop at the food pantries based upon annual income that ranges between $16,170 to $33,000 for a family of four. In addition, home furnishings and clothing are distributed in the St. Vincent dePaul Warehouse each Saturday for needy families. Clients call in for assistance on either the English or Spanish speaking Help Lines. They are referred to the Distribution Center for furnishings and clothings after they have been visited at home by representatives of the St. Vincent DePaul. They are issued vouchers authorizing their pickup of needed items at the Warehouse on Saturdays. There are also medical and legal services made available to qualifying families.
How and when can students volunteer during the school year?
During a normal week, students can volunteer on Wednesday after school at the Pratt-Quigley Food Center, on Thursday at the Spann Ave facility and on Saturdays at either the Pratt-Quigley Food Center or at the St. Vincent De Paul Distribution Warehouse Center.
Students may volunteer to assist clients to shop, bag their groceries, perform client in-take in the office (English or Spanish appreciated) and re-stock the shelves with grocery items. Usually students should arrive 1 hour before client shopping begins or plan to stay one hour after it ends. Take your volunteer forms with you so that service dates and times can be validated. Volunteer for a minimum of 2 hour periods.
The schedules of the facilities are listed below: (Click here to print)
The Pratt-Quigley Food Center offers client shopping during the following hours:
Monday Priority shopping* for disabled individuals 9-11 AM
Tuesday Client Shopping 9-3
Wednesday Restocking and Home deliveries 6:30 AM - 7 PM
Thursday see Spann Ave facility
Friday Client Shopping 9-12 and restocking 9-1 PM
Saturday Client Shopping 9-12 and restocking 9-1 PM.
* (every other Monday/the alternate Mondays are used for stocking)
The Client Food Choice Pantry offers client shopping on Thursdays from 4-7 PM.
The St. Vincent De Paul Distribution Center is open most Saturdays from 8-1 for client pickup of voucher furnishings, household items and clothing.
How and when can students volunteer during the summer?
During the summer, students can assist clients to shop, bag their groceries, perform client in-take in the office (English or Spanish appreciated) and re-stock the shelves with grocery items. Usually students should arrive 1 hour before client shopping begins or plan to stay one hour after it ends. At the Distribution Center, you will be asked to do a variety of roles needing assistance that day. Take your volunteer forms with you so that service dates and times can be validated. Volunteer for a minimum of 2 hour periods. The schedules of the facilities are listed above.
Is there training which our students need to participate at your agency? Training is offered on the site when you go. If you would like to have a goup of individuals go to work together, please call the respective contacts ahead of time to coordinate it. There are addition needs such as breaking out bulk food into individual family portions that need to be performed periodically.
B. Touching Spotlight Story
Do you have a touching story where a client was truly served that you would like to share?
At St. Lawrence, I have the honor of making Hispanic house calls to assist families. I accompany a member of St. Vincent dePaul who has a list of individuals who have phoned into the Hispanic help line for assistance. We often visit a family who has newly moved to Indianapolis or has changed addresses and they do not have furniture for the living room nor beds in the bedrooms. Most of the women do not work out of the home and do not have transportation to leave their apartment during the day. They are very clean and appreciative of the opportunity to gain some furniture, clothing for the children, winter coats and work clothes for working in cold weather. Sometines there is a new baby coming and they need a crib or baby blankets. It is eye opening to realize how simply these individuals live. They are very warm and courteous during the visit. Sometimes we talk about ways they can learn English at free classes in Lawrence Township. We also talk about Spanish masses close by and which churches can further assist them. Lastly, we pray the Padre Nuestro(Our Father) in Spanish. If food is a concern, we do refer them to the Pratt-Quigley Food Center. We leave with them their vouchers for the needed home furnishings, directions for the Distribution Warehouse, and recommendations that they must arrive early (as early as 6:30 A.M.) to wait in line for the opportunity to get their needed furnishings from 8-1 on Saturdays. They do not get to choose their preferred sofa; one is simply administered to them. There are a few items of clothing and household needs which are client choice. Most of the items are simply allocated to them. As I leave their home, I am satisfied that their needs are being further met at the Distribution Center and I imagine a friendly, supportive person assisting them. If they need food from the food pantry, I can envision a kind faced individual checking them in and assisting them with their shopping totals. I say a quiet prayer for their dignity and improved family opportunity and well being as we leave.