A few years ago, we found out that one of our parishioners wasn’t going to be able to pay for her last semester of nursing school. Her father was unemployed and their family was just trying to make ends meet. We gladly provided the financial aid she needed to complete her degree.

Because of the assistance from the St. Vincent de Paul Society, she was able to graduate nursing school and get a job. Her family is also in a much better financial situation. As a “thank you” to our society, she paid back the money that we had provided to help her fulfill her dream. While it wasn’t required or requested of her, we can now use that money to continue our mission of helping those in need reach their dreams of living a more stable and fulfilling life.

Christ just knocked at our door!

Three years ago, we were fairly new members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. One of our first clients was a widowed mother with a teenage daughter. When we stepped into the apartment, we were struck by the absence of furniture. Their beds consisted of two airbeds, one in the living room and one in the bedroom.

We immediately went to work with the mother, finding out her needs. Then we took her to the St. Vincent Store where she was able to pick out furniture and eventually a box spring and mattress as she has multiple physical issues, one of which is a serious spinal condition. Over the years, the mother has experienced numerous health problems that have resulted in stays in the hospital and nursing home, all the while keeping a positive attitude due to her faith in God. Recently, she has been diagnosed with cancer that, thank God, is treatable.

We have kept in contact with them and assisted them in transportation, donated items from our family and friends, and other countless ways. One of our members has also spent many hours organizing their apartment, working with the mother on budgeting her finances, and providing other assistance, including good solid advice on improving their lives. They now own a car, which allows them to be more independent. We thank God for the opportunity to serve God through them. They are in our prayers daily.

Christ just knocked at our door!

In the past several years, one of my clients has been a middle-aged woman who is divorced and has medical issues while on Medicare. She was not allowed to communicate with her three sons, all special needs, who lived with her ex-husband. Her family from Ohio abandoned her, thinking she was exaggerating her illness. We helped make sure she could get to get to her many doctor appointments, obtain assistance from the township trustee, and pay for the cost of utilities, food vouchers, and medicine.

Recently, she was diagnosed with a very progressive cancer condition and has had many hospital treatment stays. We contacted the Carpenter Sons from St. Vincent’s Parish to build her a wheelchair ramp, install grab bars in the bathroom, and make minor repairs around her home. She has since reconnected with her family and, although she is living each day in pain, offers her suffering to God. I thank the Lord for the privilege to serve one of God’s less fortunate.

Christ just knocked at our door!

A friend of a Vincentian contacted us with a special request. Her husband lives at a nursing home because he has Parkinson’s and uses a wheelchair. Unable to transport him in his wheelchair to her home for Thanksgiving, she asked if we were able to bring him “home for the holiday.”

By using our wheelchair accessible Care Van, we were able to bring the gentleman home to see his wife, children, and grandchildren for about 3 hours on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. After the visit, we brought him back to the nursing home. Our Care Van and the generous time of a Vincentian driver were able to help reconnect this family during the time of year when “there’s no place like home for the holidays.”

Christ just knocked at our door!

Client R—approximately 35 years of age—disabled—turned down twice for SSDI for lack of information. R’s wife had been seeking help constantly from both Our Lady of Good Hope and Society of St Vincent de Paul Conferences for several years.

It was suggested to them to try one more time to apply for SSDI. R had seemingly given up trying. During a home visit, they were informed about a program called AllsupAlliances.com, that has a working agreement with National Society of St Vincent de Paul under the heading SVdPAllsup.com. We posted a profile of R on the website and guided his wife through the assessment process. R’s disability is the loss of the use of his right hand. The assessment, which is instantaneous, indicated him to be 100% eligible.

They were then directed to the application which they completed and transmitted to Allsup. Several weeks later, one of our members was shopping in a retail store and accidentally met R’s wife. Our member was told to thank the person involved because everything was ok now. With this disability income and R’s wife being able to earn some income, they no longer needed assistance!

Eliminating systemic poverty one neighbor at a time.

Christ just knocked at our door!

Client D.—approximately 61 years of age—disabled—had spent her retirement money to pay off her mother’s medical bills, after her mother’s death. D had requested assistance to obtain a refrigerator.

Through our normal methods, we found a very nice used refrigerator. Unfortunately, it did not fit beneath the kitchen cabinet. However, she wished to keep the refrigerator. We then enlisted the aid of one of our parishioners, a cabinet maker, who took the cabinet down, reworked it, and put it back in place so that the refrigerator would fit nicely underneath.

While we were in the home, we noticed how terrible hot it was. After speaking with D, we discovered that her central air was not functioning and was too outdated to be worth repairing. Not being able to afford a new air conditioning unit, we did the next best thing. We ordered a window unit for her bedroom.

We would have placed it somewhere else in the house, but she only had one double-hung wind. Because the window was uneven, two men constructed a balance on the window sill and installed the air conditioner.

At least D could sleep comfortably.

Christ just knocked at our door!

One Tuesday, while driving around scoping out a new SVdP Handyman project, we happened to be close to a wheelchair ramp we built over by the old Harvester Plant. Two years ago, we built a ramp for some homeowners, and shortly after we finished the husband passed away.

Since we were just a block away, I called the homeowner to see if there was anything else she needed. We left a voice message because nobody answered the phone. Here is the note she sent back to us:

Hey Mark, it was so nice to hear from you. It brought tears to my eyes. The summer of 2016 and all of you men, doing God’s work those very HOT days is something that will forever dwell in my heart forever. I pray all of you are doing well.

I am doing ok. I started a job at BAE in the summer and am very thankful for it. It has been challenging for me. I am on day shift getting trained right now, but expect to go back on second at some point.

Please know that you are all in my prayers and my heart, and know that if I ever do need a repair, I will keep you in mind. Please feel free to call anytime.

Please tell the fellas “Howdy” for me, and if you ever need lunch while you do your work, I would be glad to accommodate you, if at all possible.

Forever grateful!

Christ just knocked at our door!

On this day, I visited a man needing a bed. He welcomed me into his home, which was a nicely converted outbuilding. Although it was very warm outside, his home had air conditioning and was very comfortable. His bed was just a mattress on the floor.

He needed box springs and a bed frame to get him up off the floor and make it easier to get in and out of bed. It was very difficult for him, now that he was older and weaker, due to the fact that he was on dialysis and his health was compromised.

I was happy to give him a voucher to the SVdP Thrift Store for a complete bed.

Christ just knocked at our door!

Today, besides requests for food and clothes, this request came to the door: A woman and man requesting food and drink for a 24-hour bus trip. They had their bus tickets, but were very thirsty and the young woman was extremely sunburned. The bus was leaving in an hour and they had come to Fort Wayne because they had been promised jobs. As it turned out, the group of people they were with were being sold to a chicken farmer in Ohio.

Others in the group were undocumented immigrants. This young man and woman were able to escape and had nothing. They panhandled to get their bus tickets and were trying to get home to Mississippi.

I gave them a jug of lemonade, cups, crackers, peanut butter, anything I could find in small packets—on short notice—that they could eat on the way, and $20 cash.

It was very emotional. We hugged and cried, and I wished them blessings on their way. The young woman told me that she would go to her Catholic church when she got home and would remember me with thanks.

Christ just knocked at our door!

Several years ago, there was a terrible accident, where a semi hit a vehicle and that was the end of a “normal” life for Pam. She was in the hospital for weeks and at least a year physical therapy. I knew of Pam, through baseball—her son and my grandson played on the same team. I didn’t know her very well, but I could see that after her accident, she had been seriously hurt and had a hard time walking.

One evening, the boys had a game and we had received a lot of rain that day. The diamond had been worked on and, despite the soaking rain, it was made ready for the game. We were able to enjoy half of the game until it started to lightning and the game was called. We all headed back to our cars through the grass, and I saw that Pam had fallen several times in the muddy, rain soaked grass. Her husband helped her up each time. I asked if she had a wheelchair, maybe that would be easier to get around—especially with the long walk to the parking lot—and she said they couldn’t afford one.

I checked with the SVdP Thrift Store, and they did not have one. So, I asked our St. Louis Society of St Vincent de Paul Conference if we could purchase one for her. The answer was YES!

I picked up her new wheelchair at Walmart and delivered it to her. She was delighted to receive it, especially a week before an out of town baseball tournament the boys were playing in.

Now, I see Pam, usually at the grocery store, and she still gives me a big hug, and always talks about her wheelchair.

Sometimes we should look for the needy, not just wait for the poor and needy to come to us!

Christ just knocked at our door!