Voice of the Poor
(continued from page 1)
nothing in my middle class lifestyle that would ever give me the opportunity
to visit such a humble house if it were not for my work as a Vincentian
volunteer. Of course, I entered the situation with my values coloring my
expectations. I was very humbled and thankful that I was able to receive the
reminder that we visit Jesus when we make our calls. What an unexpected
gift worth unwrapping.
Ozanam News
is the official quarterly
publication of the National
Council of the United States
Society of
St. Vincent de Paul
Publisher
Shelia Gilbert
No other service organization has such an intimate encounter with those
who, in many cases, have such a different life experience from us. And we are
blessed to have the opportunity to be welcomed into their homes.
The advocacy we do as a Voice of the Poor Vincentian has many attributes
that are the same as those home visits.
• Our entire advocacy effort is based on the needs of those we serve. That
is the root of any cause we take on. We don’t believe in food stamps or
Medicaid because we want more government programs. We believe in
these programs because we’ve seen them work. We meet families of
single parents who need SNAP benefits to keep food on the table. We see
the impact that no health insurance has on a service worker who can’t
afford medication and who often spirals into a worse condition.
We pray for the day when these programs will end––not because of
politics but because the need goes away. Through our advocacy and
systemic change efforts, we are working to help people become more
self-sufficient. But we need the public sector benefits to help those folks
over the hurdles they face when adversity sets in.
• Advocacy has the element of the unknown. Who will we encounter
when we visit a legislator? What type of person will he or she be? How
open will they be to our suggestions and viewpoint? These are the same
questions we face when we sit down in the living room of a person in
need. In that case, we have been called in by the individual because he
or she needs us. The same is true when dealing with elected
officials. They need us to tell them our beliefs on issues. And
in both cases, our faith encourages us to that service.
• Advocacy has an element of “you get what you expect”. If you
go into a home visit thinking that this person is a leach on
society and is only looking for a way to further scam us into
getting assistance––that’s probably what you will find. If you
don’t think you can have any impact on a public issue––that’s
exactly what you will accomplish. On the other hand, if you
prayerfully enter either of those situations knowing that you
are doing the work our faith asks of us, you will be much more
satisfied that you did what you could to make a difference.
After that, it’s in God’s hands.
We aren’t Vincentians because we get a lot of glory or because of
lavish salaries. We do it because we are faithful to our Catholic
heritage. We are Vincentians because service is the spiritual path
we have chosen. That is a gift worth unwrapping every day.
Executive Editor
Dave Barringer
Managing Editor
Pamela F. Johnson
Editorial Board
Liz Carter
Leigh Anne Cipriano
Pamela F. Johnson
Roger Playwin
Ray Sickinger
Mike Syslo
Charles Henderson
58 Progress Parkway
Maryland Heights, Missouri
63043-3706
Phone: (314) 576-3993
Fax: (314) 576-6755
E-mail:
[email protected]
www.svdpusa.org
Mary Anne Michelet with Ben Barasky, legislative
Assistant to U.S. Representative Suzan DelBene (1st
District-WA). Ben took the SNAP challenge with
Suzan and found shopping was the hardest part.
What great hidden treasures there are in holy providence and how marvelously Our Lord is honored by those who follow it. -St. Vincent de Paul
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