About Us
Our Mission
The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul is a Catholic lay organization 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. Saint Vincent de Paul Society, 2020
“I would like to embrace the whole world in a network of charity.”
–Blessed Frederic Ozanam
Who We Are
We serve those in need regardless of belief or background. We are women and men of all backgrounds and cultures. We work in 153 countries worldwide. Worldwide we have helped over 30 million people. Globally, today we are over 800,000 volunteers – Vincentians!
We operate locally in lay-run “Conferences.” Our Lady of Light Conference is one of more than 4,600 Conferences in the U.S. and over 51,000 globally. Within our Conference, we are organized into volunteer teams each working a weekday morning. We are a “network of friends.”
The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul is also a part of the International Vincentian Family (FAMVIN), organizations inspired by the life and work of Saint Vincent de Paul. www.svdpusa.org.
What We Do
In Our Lady of Light Conference, we organize into teams each working a weekday morning to meet and speak with people in need of assistance. Our primary focus is helping people in need of:
- Food
- Rent/Mortgage Payments
- Utility Payments (Electric & Water)
- Prescription Medication Costs
Our founding activity, still practiced today, is the face-to-face Home Visit. In two-person teams, our volunteers visit the homes of local neighbors in need, to identify immediate and long-term needs. The Home Visit is how we best bring hope and financial resources to neighbors in need.
Our History
The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul was founded in 1833 and is a worldwide organization dedicated to service neighbors in need. Frederic Ozanam, a 19th Century French lawyer, author and professor at the Sorbonne, was the primary founder along with a group of friends. His goal was to serve God and the poor.
In working to start the Society, Frederic and his friends were inspired by Sister Rosalie Rendu, a member of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul.
The Saint Vincent de Paul Conference at Our Lady of Light was founded in 1990 as a non-profit charitable agency to assist those in need throughout the South Fort Myers and Estero communities. The Conference has distributed nearly $800,000 in aid to the needy in our area.
How We Helped
Thanks to Our Lady of Light parish, we have very low overhead for this ministry. We are blessed that $.98 from every $1.00 received was distributed as client aid to the needy.
%
Goes to the Needy
2021
Rent/Mortgage Assistance
Number of families helped: 121
Average payment: $503/family
Total Expenditure/Value: $60,830
Food Distributed
Number of families helped: 294
Average payment: $76.70
Total Expenditure/Value: $22,550
Food Card Distributed
Number of families helped: 331
Average payment: $20.00
Total Expenditure/Value: $6,600
Electric Bill Assistance
Number of families helped: 129
Average payment: $299.57
Total Expenditure/Value: $38,644
Water Bill Assistance
Number of families helped: 30
Average payment: $246.43
Total Expenditure/Value: $7,393
Prescriptions & Medical/Dental Care Assistance
Number of individuals helped: 10
Average payment: $237.60
Total Expenditure/Value: $2,376
Gas Cards Distributed
Number of families: 100
Average payment: $28.50
Total Expenditure/Value: $2,850
Helping Disadvantaged Youth with Education Assistance
Number of young people helped: 4
Average support/student: $2,698.25
Total Expenditure/Value: $10,793
The year 2021 continued to present challenges worldwide, as well as for Our Lady of Light Conference of Saint Vincent de Paul. Yet we continued to be blessed with the time, talent and treasure from our supporters willing to help meet the greater demand we’ve experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic and our current economic times.
Total emergency assistance disbursed during Fiscal 2021: $196,176 responding to 729 requests for help
Total Volunteer Hours Served in 2021: 2,780
2021 challenges due to COVID-19 pandemic:
- 8% decrease in the number of calls for assistance
- Payments for delinquent rent decreased from 2020
- Payments for overdue electric utility bills increased by 32%
The following organizations have supported our mission with financial grants:
- Copperleaf Charitable Foundation
- West Bay Community Charitable Foundation
- Pelican Sound Charitable Foundation
Get In Touch
Call
(239) 690-6685
Mailing Address
19680 Cypress View Drive
Fort Myers, Florida 33967