Vincentians are not social workers. We serve as neighbors, seeking to understand the troubles of those we serve as we would a brother or sister; to form relationships based on trust and friendship, and to walk with our neighbors in their time of trouble.
The Home Visit remains the central work of the Conferences of the Society of St Vincent de Paul. On Home Visits, Vincentians do not merely “stand with” the poor; we sit with them, we listen to them, we pray with them, and we seek to help them in the best way possible. This commonly includes rental assistance, sponsoring food pantries, providing clothing and household goods, and help with utility bills. No work of charity is foreign to the Society. It includes any form of help that alleviates suffering or deprivation and promotes human dignity and personal integrity in all their dimensions.
