A Thanksgiving Reflection...from our friends at St. Vincent de Paul
As we celebrate Thanksgiving, we recall our many blessings and remember those less fortunate among us. See below a reflection from Danny Bourne, Volunteer President of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Toronto...
Thanksgiving is a holiday that brings people together – it’s a chance to give thanks, to celebrate our many blessings.
Yet across our Archdiocese this Thanksgiving, there will be a different kind of gathering, one that won’t garner headlines. Those living in poverty will gather at a food bank, a homeless shelter or a soup kitchen for their thanksgiving meal.
In the prosperity and abundance that characterizes the thriving communities that surround Toronto, thousands of individuals and families struggle daily, generally unseen and unheard. They’re living in poverty, stress and despair.
It’s easy for us to avoid these pockets – planning our day so that we do not have to pass by those on the margins. We can also judge, criticize and blame those who do cross our path.
Concerned people respond in different ways, many with great generosity, volunteering at food banks and working through a wide variety of community and church groups.
One such organization is the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP). 175 years ago, in Paris, France, some university students decided to put their faith into action. They took firewood to a family near the university and thus started the first conference (group of volunteers) of the Society. The first conference in Ontario was established 17 years later in 1850 at St. Michael’s Cathedral in downtown Toronto.
SVDP members bring material assistance (food & clothing vouchers, basic furniture) along with compassion and hope to anyone who asks for help. In the GTA there are 113 conferences with a total of 1200+ volunteers making 15,000 home visits to 65,000 people in need. Those served may be single-parent families, new immigrants, or the working poor – some have recently fallen on hard times due to illness or job loss while others have struggled for years to break out of poverty.
Volunteer members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul see first hand what it means to be poor, to face tough choices. Does the single mother of two get her 6 year old new shoes or use the money for nutritious meals this week? Does she pay the rent or the utility bill?
In addition to home visits, the Society also serves those in more severe need through four shelters for women, 14 addiction recovery homes and residences for adults with developmental disabilities and mental illness. The Society also operates Marygrove Camp for disadvantaged girls, ages 5-13.
Volunteers and staff of the SVDP believe that, as local communities, we cannot allow some to just survive on the margins while the rest of us have plenty (or, at least, much more than we really need). They feel compelled to make a difference. As a result of their efforts over 175 years both locally and internationally, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has been nominated for the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize.
As we gather for this year’s Thanksgiving meal, let’s stop and reflect for a moment: How can we assist the plight of those living on the margins? Is there an opportunity to advocate on their behalf? Can we give some of our time and resources so that others will not be alone?
This year, let’s set the Thanksgiving table with a place for all members of our “extended” family.
Danny Bourne is the Volunteer President of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Toronto. For more information about the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (whether to help someone get assistance or to volunteer), go to their website at svdptoronto.org or call 416-364-5577.
Photo: www.freefoto.com
Thanksgiving is a holiday that brings people together – it’s a chance to give thanks, to celebrate our many blessings.Yet across our Archdiocese this Thanksgiving, there will be a different kind of gathering, one that won’t garner headlines. Those living in poverty will gather at a food bank, a homeless shelter or a soup kitchen for their thanksgiving meal.
In the prosperity and abundance that characterizes the thriving communities that surround Toronto, thousands of individuals and families struggle daily, generally unseen and unheard. They’re living in poverty, stress and despair.
It’s easy for us to avoid these pockets – planning our day so that we do not have to pass by those on the margins. We can also judge, criticize and blame those who do cross our path.
Concerned people respond in different ways, many with great generosity, volunteering at food banks and working through a wide variety of community and church groups.
One such organization is the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP). 175 years ago, in Paris, France, some university students decided to put their faith into action. They took firewood to a family near the university and thus started the first conference (group of volunteers) of the Society. The first conference in Ontario was established 17 years later in 1850 at St. Michael’s Cathedral in downtown Toronto.
SVDP members bring material assistance (food & clothing vouchers, basic furniture) along with compassion and hope to anyone who asks for help. In the GTA there are 113 conferences with a total of 1200+ volunteers making 15,000 home visits to 65,000 people in need. Those served may be single-parent families, new immigrants, or the working poor – some have recently fallen on hard times due to illness or job loss while others have struggled for years to break out of poverty.
Volunteer members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul see first hand what it means to be poor, to face tough choices. Does the single mother of two get her 6 year old new shoes or use the money for nutritious meals this week? Does she pay the rent or the utility bill?
In addition to home visits, the Society also serves those in more severe need through four shelters for women, 14 addiction recovery homes and residences for adults with developmental disabilities and mental illness. The Society also operates Marygrove Camp for disadvantaged girls, ages 5-13.
Volunteers and staff of the SVDP believe that, as local communities, we cannot allow some to just survive on the margins while the rest of us have plenty (or, at least, much more than we really need). They feel compelled to make a difference. As a result of their efforts over 175 years both locally and internationally, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has been nominated for the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize.
As we gather for this year’s Thanksgiving meal, let’s stop and reflect for a moment: How can we assist the plight of those living on the margins? Is there an opportunity to advocate on their behalf? Can we give some of our time and resources so that others will not be alone?
This year, let’s set the Thanksgiving table with a place for all members of our “extended” family.
Danny Bourne is the Volunteer President of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Toronto. For more information about the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (whether to help someone get assistance or to volunteer), go to their website at svdptoronto.org or call 416-364-5577.
Photo: www.freefoto.com
posted by Neil MacCarthy at
10:00 AM
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