Please remember The Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Your Estate Planning

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1 Please remember The in Your Estate Planning We have an unwavering commitment to serving the poor. For information please contact: Joe Hubbard at (ext. 13) Or Pat Hogrebe at (ext. 12) St. Vincent de Paul The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a volunteer organization composed of people from all walks of life who feel God s call to devote a portion of their time to serve those in need. Board of Directors President Joseph Hubbard Vice President Dennis Furdek Secretary Corrine Wright Treasurer Carol Williamson Conference Presidents Joyce Ahart Pat Barboza John Bossler Mabel Grogan Charlie Cullen Derrick Dickey Joyce Erno John Feldman Connie Garrett Mary Catherine Hagene Tom Herrmann Janel Housley Maryann Klosterman Tom Kolb Tony Naddeo Ruth Morton John O Neill Judy Rebholz Ramona Rodriguez Kathy Tyler Kathleen Wilson Chris York Executive Director Patricia Hogrebe HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS ISSUE SVDP President s Message Friends of the Poor Walk 2014 Thrift Store Roof Completed House In A Box Repurpose To Rebuild A Ladder For Success FROM OUR COUNCIL PRESIDENT The Council is prayerfully focusing on Faith and Formation to strengthen and expand the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in our diocese. We are visiting conferences individually to evaluate how to best approach An Invitation to Serve to actively invite others to become members of SVDP. We will be conducting Ozanam Orientations to prepare new Vincentians and refresh present Vincentians. We will also be offering a workshop to help Spiritual Advisors better minister to the spiritual needs of their Conferences. Spirituality, the cornerstone of our Vincentian charism, is a serious responsibility for us all. We are embracing a new program A Power Hour of Prayer to address important aspects of spirituality in our lives. Confident that God always hears us, we will approach each Power Hour open to hearing HIM speak to us. We invite you to join us on this spiritual journeyseeking the Spirit together, growing closer to the Divine.

2 SAVE THE DATE! A SPECIAL INVITATION TO THE ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY FRIENDS OF THE POOR WALK WHEN: Saturday, September 13, 2014 WHERE: Our Lady of the Snows Shrine, Belleville REGISTRATION: pat.hogrebe@gmail.com or Register at the event MORE INFORMATION AND FORMS: Or call X13 WALK TIME: 1pm - 4pm Mass at 4PM in the Outdoor Amphitheatre The National Friends of the Poor walk began in 2008 to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the. Walkers are a visible sign to the community that they are taking steps to relieve the pain of poverty. On Saturday, September 13 th, the will be holding its 6 th annual Friends of the Poor Walk on the beautiful grounds of The Shrine of our Lady of the Snows in celebration of the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul on September 27 th. The walk will conclude with an outdoor Saturday evening liturgy at 4PM. We re very excited about the event and would like to extend a special invitation to you and your family and friends to participate as a walker, a sponsor or a donor. ALL contributions stay within our local St. Vincent de Paul Society and 100% of the proceeds will benefit our work with the poor. Put Your Old Car into Retirement with the St. Vincent de Paul Vehicle Donation Program Top FIVE Reasons Why You Should DONATE Your VEHICLE to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul 5. The proceeds of your donation stays local. 4. You receive the maximum tax deduction allowed under IRS regulations. 3. The donation process is hassle-free. 2. The old vehicle is picked up free by a bonded company. 1. You are partnering with the, to help those in need to help themselves. The tax credit will help you. The car donation will help us help the poor! For more information, contact Pat Hogrebe at or pat.hogrebe@gmail.com For further information about the donation program and process on our website at click the Donate tab, then Vehicle Donations. You may donate a vehicle directly on-line at You may donate a vehicle directly on-line at

3 AN INVITATION TO SERVE But if anyone has the world s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God s love abide in him? Ittle children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. John 3:17-18 Vincentians regard the Conference as the paramount unit of SVdP life. It is at this grass-roots level that the great majority of Vincentians find themselves engaged in the person-to-person service of those in need. It is the environment in which members develop and nurture a common spiritual life, where they grow in their closeness to the Lord through their encounters with him in the needy. The ministry of a Conference of the is to bring concrete aid and the comfort of the Gospel to the needy and the suffering. This loving service, in turn, brings each member closer to God and helps the relationship with him grow. This activity witnesses to the world that Christ and his Gospel message are alive today and being preached through action at the local level. Works on behalf of the needy are the most vivid expression of Christ's presence in the world. Such works he willed to be signs of his messianic mission (Mt. 11: 4-5) in the world. Vincentians make Christ's healing presence felt through their loving presence to those who are needy or are suffering. By their own love for Christ, they bring the hope that Christ brought into the world; namely, that things can be different and that needless suffering can be diminished through person-to-person caring. ( Information from Chapter 5 of the Manual of the in the U.S.). The ST. Vincent de Paul Council is EXTENDING AN INVITATION TO SERVE. If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact the SVdP Office at The Vincentian Giving and Memorial Program P.O. Box 3415 East St. Louis, IL A NEW ROOF Over Our Heads The toll of many years of snow, water, wind, hail and ice all contributed to the severely damaged roof of the facility that houses our Thrift Store and Soup Kitchen. The damage was so extensive that a new roof was a necessity not an option. With the support and generosity of wonderful people who care about the mission of St. Vincent de Paul, we Raised The Roof and now have a brand new one that will carry us for many years and allow us to continue the charity and good works that are a daily reality at St. Vincents! THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MADE THIS POSSIBLE! REPURPOSE TO REBUILD At The St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store Summer is here! It might be too late for Spring Cleaning but it is never too late to clean out and donate all those unwanted items to the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store! We accept clothing, shoes, bedding, towels, kitchen items, furniture and more! The mission of our St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store is to provide low cost or no cost items to people in need. We deliver much needed furniture, clothing, and household items to people who have experienced life changing events such as eviction, foreclosure, fires, natural disasters or domestic violence. Your donations help to REBUILD lives! Arrange a Pick-Up Please call and leave your contact information-the store manager will call you back to schedule a pick-up of your donated items. We help you turn your used furniture, clothing, cars and other donated materials into instruments of hope.

4 families each received a complete House In A Box which provided much needed material goods but more importantly Hope for the future. LITTLE CAESARS HOUSE IN A BOX The National Council of the Society responds to disasters, natural and man-made that occur throughout the United States. Unfortunately, during the last several years the number of natural disasters has increased dramatically calling upon the resources of the Society to assist. The has reacted by creating a National Disaster Team to help when a situation arises. This team supports the local Councils of the Society with financial assistance from its own fundraising efforts and grants provided by organizations such as the American Red Cross. House In A Box is part of this effort and partners with other agencies to offer a fresh start. This innovative service provides new household furnishings are purchased for families without insurance and for whom it will be difficult to replace everything they lost. House In A Box provides for these items including sofas, beds, dressers, tables & chairs, pots & pans, dishes, glassware, silverware, bedding, towels, and more. The program has supported families after Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, the Texas wildfires, the Oklahoma tornadoes, the Colorado floods, and the West TX plant explosion. On November 17, 2013, tornadoes struck in the diocese of Peoria leaving behind massive destruction and devastation. The St. Vincent de Paul Peoria Council with partner funding from the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, and the Jewish Federation, Tempur-Pedic North America, and Peoria Catholic Charities sponsored House In A Box to aid the victims of the disaster. Tom Pelger, President of the Peoria Council headed the project and obtained financing from the Society s national disaster fund as well as from other Vincentian conferences, councils and local donations. To support the relief effort in our neighboring Diocese of Peoria, the Belleville Council with partnership from Catholic Charities of Southern Illinois provided funding for thirt-nine Families in Bridgeport, Nashville and Metroplis to receive help through the Peoria Council. These VISITS COSGROVE S KITCHEN On Saturday, June 14 th Little Caesars Love Kitchen visited Cosgrove s Soup Kitchen and served nearly 400 hungry pizza lovers! The Little Caesars Love Kitchen is a big-rig pizza kitchen on wheels that travels across the continental United States and Canada meeting the needs of the hungry, the homeless and disaster victims. Established in 1985, it exemplifies the company s strong tradition of giving back to the community and has fed more than two million people since it started. Little Caesars Love Kitchen has provided relief to hundreds of thousands of disaster victims throughout America. Product is donated by local Little Caesars franchisees and company market operators. Keith Thornton from the local Little Caesars franchise in East St. Louis donated product and service in this effort. Rick Moreno is one of the two Love Kitchen s operators and headed up the Love Kitchen at Cosgrove s. St. Vincent de Paul Cosgrove s Soup Kitchen located at 3718 State Street, East St. Louis, serves approximately 300 noon meals 6 days a week. Urgently Needed for Gear-Up Men s underwear, white undershirts, and socks. Your donation will help someone get back to work! If you can help, please Call (Ext. 13) or Pat at pat.hogrebe@gmail.com

5 Friends of the Poor Walk 2014 HELPING THE POOR STEP BY STEP September 13 th at The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows YOU CAN HELP! BECOMING A SPONSOR LEVELS OF SPONSORSHIP PLATINUM: $5,000 and above Recognized with Signage GOLD: $1,000 - $5,000 Recognized with Signage DIAMOND $500 - $1,000 Recognized with Signage SILVER: $250 - $500 CONTRIBUTORS: Donations up to $250 FRIENDS OF THE POOR WALK SPONSORSHIPS Please send your contributions to: The PO Box 3415 East St. Louis, Illinois Please accept my contribution of to become a Friends of the Poor Sponsor Name Address City State Zip Phone Call Pat at or Joe at X13 if you have questions 100% of the proceeds benefit the charitable works of the Sponsorships recognized before & at the event BUILDING A LADDER TO SUCCESS A Systemic Change Project The Council is constantly searching for avenues to facilitate systemic change either in the system or in individuals. For more than 7 years we have provided budgeting classes to teach skills to help people become more fiscally responsible. Several years ago, this program was expanded to include resume writing. Building A Ladder To Success, is a new program being offered monthly rotating at all the Sites operated by the East St. Louis Housing Authority. This 4 hour class provides instruction on not only budgeting and resume skills but also relationships and self-esteem building. Our two principal instructors, Evelyn Weber and Belva Blakely, are dedicated volunteers committed to St. Vincent de Paul and to systemic change! Pat s Prayer Perspective ALL are called by God to serve others-to freely and generously extend charity. The reality of all charity is love. As Vincentians we are given unique opportunities to serve others - to BE charity, to BE love. This is where we find the living presence of Jesus. PLEASE REMEMBER THE SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL IN YOUR ESTATE PLANNING. We have an unwavering commitment to serving the poor. For more information, please contact Joe Hubbard at or Pat Hogrebe at

6 POWER HOUR OF PRAYER YOU ARE INVITED TO ATTEND OUR MONTHLY GATHERINGS DEDICATED TO EXPLORING AND SUPPORTING ONGOING CONVERSION AND DEEPER PRAYER LIFE. CONSIDER SETTING ASIDE ONE HOUR OUT OF YOUR BUSY MONTH TO DEVELOP AN OPENNESS TO THE HEART OF GOD AS WE TRAVEL THAT ROAD OF FAITH AND FORMATION!* The gatherings are the second Tuesday of the month at Mount Carmel Cemetery Chapel, West Main Street, Belleville, Illinois. SUMMER PICNIC JULY 2014 NEXT GATHERING IS AUGUST 12 TH at 6 PM POTLUCK SUPPER & SQUARE TABLE DIALOG Bring your favorite side dish and come for a great discussion Call or pat.hogrebe@gmail.com Looking Ahead *Details will be sent prior to each gathering September 9 th -6:30pm-Father Clyde Grogan talks about Reconciliation & Mercy October 14 th -6:30 pm-father Bill Hitpas brings a message to stir spirituality November 11 th -6:30 pm-joe & Pat explore On Broken Wings December 9 th -6:30 pm-sr. Millie Gross brings us both homemade Christmas cookies AND an important Advent message January 13 th -6:30 pm-evelyne Dodson will ring in the New Year with a Cameo On Vincentian Saints POWER HOUR OF PRAYER