H U M A N S E RV I C E S
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SALVAGE STORE OF WEST PALM BEACH For Palm Beach County residents in need of help, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul provides a lifeline of hope. An international Catholic lay organization, the Society focuses on serving the poor, providing direct assistance without regard to religious affiliation. Volunteers handle more than 700 calls a month for assistance, and visit individuals in their homes, hospitals, prisons and eldercare facilities. Through one-onone conversations that respect the dignity of the poor, the Society’s volunteers listen, offer advice and use their best judgment in providing assistance such as food, furniture or clothing. The Society distributes more than 800 cases of food a month to local churches, soup kitchens and food pantries, and supports anti-poverty projects in Pahokee, Indiantown, Haiti and Latin America. Now, the Society is planning to renovate the St. Vincent de Paul Salvage Store of West Palm Beach to become a better resource for clients and a more productive source of funding. As the Society’s patron, St. Vincent de Paul, once said: “Charity is infinitely inventive.”
CURRENT NEEDS $150 - One day of emergency housing for a homeless family $255 - “Bridges Out of Poverty” training materials for 15 members $2,100 - “Bridges Out of Poverty” introductory training session for members
Richard Persek, President P.O. Box 19665 West Palm Beach, FL 33409 561-444-2195
www.extraordinarycharities.org/stvdpsswpb
St. Vincent de Paul Salvage Store
THE GLADES INITIATIVE, INC. Overcoming the challenges of poverty, illiteracy, healthcare and education in western Palm Beach County is a daunting task. The Glades Initiative, Inc. serves to improve the coordination of service delivery to families and individuals at a time when most agencies are being called on to do more with less. For thousands of Haitian, Hispanic and other low-income residents west of the 20-mile bend, The Glades Initiative provides a convenient access point for application assistance for SNAP, Medicaid, and other healthcare benefits and food assistance. In addition to offering a lifeline for families in need of immediate assistance, The Glades Initiative provides hope for a better future through education and training, such as a Language Access Program that provided medical interpreter training to 75 bilingual residents last year. Along with facilitating the delivery of services, The Glades Initiative conducts research into community needs, and serves as a forceful advocate for change, making a lasting difference in the lives of individuals in the western communities. www.extraordinarycharities.org/gladesinitiative
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A Directory For Charitable Giving
CURRENT NEEDS $200 - 10 bags of food for families through Food Bank $400 - Medical interpreter training for one individual $2,500 - Printing 400 Glades Area Resource Guides
Karis Engle, Executive Director 141 S.E. Avenue C Belle Glade, FL 33430 561-996-3310