Submitted by The Society of St. Vincent de Paul
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP), a nonprofit organization that helps those living in poverty, will sponsor the 9th Annual Friends of the Poor® Walk/Run on Saturday, September 24, 2016 to benefit those in need of emergency financial rental assistance, utility assistance and other basic necessities. Onsite registration will begin at 10:00 a.m. at St. Michael Catholic Church, 1208 11th Ave. The walk will start at 10:30 a.m. signaled by an alpine horn. We will proceed from St. Michael Church to the Olympia Farmers Market and return for a total of 3 miles.
All proceeds and donations from the event will directly benefit the people in the Olympia area served by SVdP, and there are no administrative fees associated with the event. Anyone interested in learning more, registering in advance for the walk, and/or making a pledge can visit the website to learn more.
The event is held annually near September 27, the feast day of the Society’s patron, St. Vincent de Paul, who ministered to the poor in Paris in the 17th century. The walk in each community is designed and run by local St. Vincent de Paul Conferences and Councils. The local Walk/Run is being sponsored by the Saint Michael SVdP Conference, Olympia, Washington.
The conference currently provides three types of service:
- Monetary assistance to our less fortunate brothers and sisters who need help with rent and/or utility payments, propane, medical prescriptions, bus day passes, and various other services and goods.
- Provision of free clothing and small household articles solicited from and donated to our conference by the community at large through our Clothing Bank
- Participation with Pregnancy Aid of Thurston County providing counseling and physical assistance for pregnant mothers and those with small children.
In 2015, the Services Office assisted over 3,500 individuals, the Clothing Bank assisted some 6,100 individuals.
Total program income last year was $175,000.
One of the largest charitable organizations in the world, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is an international, nonprofit, Catholic lay organization of more than 800,000 men and women who voluntarily join together to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to the needy and suffering in 150 countries on five continents. With the U.S. headquarters in St. Louis, Mo., membership in the United States totals more than 150,000 in 4,400 communities.
As an international charitable organization, SVdP offers a variety of programs and services, including: home visits, housing assistance, disaster relief, job training and placement, food pantries, dining halls, clothing, and assistance with transportation and utility costs. The Society works to provide care for the sick, the incarcerated and the elderly, as well as prescription medicine.
In 2013, SVdP provided more than $795 million in tangible and in-kind services to those in need, made more than 1.7 million personal visits (homes, hospitals and prisons), and helped approximately 11 million people regardless of race, religion or national origin.
To learn more about the Olympia 9th Annual Friends of the Poor® Walk/Run click here.
