The Society of St Vincent de Paul...
...is a Catholic charitable organization dedicated to the service of the poor regardless of
personal beliefs, was founded by Blessed Antoine Frederic Ozanan in 1833 in the slums of
Paris. The society came to the Untied States in 1845 to St. Louis where the first Conference
was formed. Here at MHC we are dedicated to helping those in our community in need of
assistance. We are always looking for people who feel called to help with this ministry. Along
with providing assistance to the needy we are also aware of the spiritual needs of our
members. Time is spent at meetings in reflection to remind us of why we are doing what we do
and helping us to see Christ in our Clients.
Meeting the Need
Our conference works to help all Fairborn-area neighbors in need, regardless of background or belief. We run a pantry that
provides food to several families each week, including delivery to those who have no way of getting to our pantry on their
own. We also provide assistance with rent, utility payments, and other urgent financial needs. Our conference also collaborates
with other area St. Vincent de Paul conferences to run a furniture bank, including free donation pickup and delivery to our neighbors.
Our conference collaborates with other area organizations to help meet people’s needs. As a member of the Dayton District Council
of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, we can refer neighbors experiencing homelessness to the shelters the Council operates in
Dayton. We also collaborate with other area conferences to help meet financial needs that we can’t cover alone. Our conference works
with a local Boy Scouts troop to gather food for our pantry at an annual food drive in Beavercreek. We are also part of an alliance
of churches and faith groups in Fairborn, working to collaborate to better help the most vulnerable in our community.
SVdP shelter case managers were able to locate a place in Fairborn Senior Apartments for an 87-year-old woman who had been
in shelter for nearly a year. Our Conference met with her shortly after she moved in and were able to provide contacts,
advice, food, furniture, and household items to enable her to set up housekeeping in her own place. She is now receiving
Meals on Wheels, being signed up for Medicaid and provided rental assistance by Greene Met housing.
In another instance, our Conference furniture lead placed two lift chairs in neighbors’ apartments. Even though they were
not working 100%, he was able to reach out to a retired furniture store person who was able to return these two lift chairs
to good working order. This is an example of our faith in action and God’s grace meeting the need through the efforts of His people.
Opportunities to get involved
We are looking for people who want to experience the joy of giving back to those in need. We need call takers, delivery
people, pantry support, furniture distribution, Panera Bread donation pick up and members who would want to be involved
with our Conference.
Call takers are very dedicated volunteers who hear the problems of our neighbors in the community. They listen to those
needing help and truly see Christ in each and every person that reaches out. Our call-takers usually volunteer just one
or two days per week, a few times each month. Call-takers are our first point of contact for all assistance we provide. If
you are able, please consider this important ministry to help our conference make a difference in the lives of individuals
and families in our Fairborn community.
Many of our clients are elderly, have no means of transportation or find it difficult to arrange transportation. They are
still hungry and need our assistance. We are looking for volunteers who are willing to help take food to those who cannot
make it to our pantry in person. This is something volunteers can do on their own time, one or two days each week. No
more than four deliveries are given to a single volunteer in a day. Training will be provided until you are comfortable. If
you would like to work in our pantry but don’t want to do deliveries, we also have opportunities to provide food for those
who visit in person.
If you would like to join us in this ministry and find out more about the spiritualty of the
St. Vincent de Paul Society please email
Adam Horvath-Smith,
President or
Jeanne Duell, Vice President.
September 2024 Update
During the month of September we responded to 259 calls for assistance. We assisted 46 families with utilities, medicine,
rent/ rent deposits, household goods and furniture. We also provided food for 112 families (228 adults and 180 children).
Fiscal Year Update
Over the course of our last fiscal year (Oct. 2022-Sept. 2023), our 29 conference members helped a total of 5,079 people. We
distributed over $48,000 worth of donated goods (food and furniture) from our generous parishioners. Thank you for supporting our work!
Thank You!
St. Vincent de Paul would like to thank the parishioners for their support. Your generosity regarding
financial and in-kind donations enables us to continue to provide monetary and food donations month-to-month. For this, we
are truely grateful. We are not able to provide this assistance without your committed, generous and faithful support! Thank you!
