November 2024

One of the most basic skills a Vincentian must learn upon becoming a case worker is to suspend judgment of the person who has reached out for help. Once presented with their situation, it’s tempting to question why the neighbor in need did this or didn’t do that. Suspending such judgment and listening with eyes and ears is one of the keys to success.

A good example involves a recent call for help.

The man is divorced, with full custody of his three children under the age of 10. He pays his Ex a four figure check each month. He’s highly educated and worked hard, holding down two jobs. All was fine until he lost one job then another.

He fell behind on all his bills. The electricity was turned off in the hot summer months. His landlord filed for eviction for non-payment, adding on hundreds of dollars in late fees and eviction filing fees.

Now desperate, he reached out to St. Vincent DePaul. Our case worker met with him, documented the situation, and said some prayers with him as well.

The good news was that he had just landed a new contract job with a west coast firm that would turn into a full-time job with benefits in 90 days at the end of the initial contract. The bad news was that he faced eviction before he would see his first paycheck.

Not wanting to see this young family put onto the street, our Vincentian recommended an above normal amount to help him avoid eviction, turn on the electricity, and cover basic expenses until the paychecks kicked in.

Thanks to the generosity of our IHM parishioners, we were able to keep the family in place and buy some time until they were financially stable once more.

If you would like to find out more about becoming a Vincentian, please reach out to reach out to Javier Lerch at [email protected]

If a parishioner needs help, they can call 678-892-6163.

Case Number: 2024- 43848