The Best Antidote to Reducing Homelessness
Is Preventing People from Becoming Homeless.

St. Vincent de Paul joins the community to listen, engage,
and build relationships that assist and advocate for individuals
and families to meet basic needs and achieve stability and self-sufficiency. We inherited a set of values, convictions, and ideals from our founders. They taught us a radical love that honors and protects human dignity as a birthright for all of our neighbors. You have to stick with love. It is the only answer.

Keeping families and individuals in their homes and preventing eviction is one of the primary functions performed by St. Vincent de Paul. We have been doing this work in Seattle for 97 years. Founded in France in 1833, we are now serving people in 150 countries.

Our essential work in King County revolves around 800 volunteers who work in over 50 local neighborhood volunteer groups, listening and helping our neighbors in need. Our Helpline Call Center manages over 40,000 calls per year from neighbors seeking assistance. Many of these calls are desperate families and young mothers seeking help to pay rent or utilities. (Callers are often referred to other agencies for services and may not result in home visits).

We want you to meet Leah and her son Rylan, who were homeless for two years. Because of generous financial support from donors, we were able to support this young family in their journey to find stability. Leah now has employment and, just recently, she found housing with assistance from St. Vincent de Paul of Seattle|King County. This short video gives you a unique and special insight into their lives. Watch her video.

Last year in King County, we responded to over 120,000 requests for aid, through home visits, case management, the Georgetown Food Bank and other related programs. Out of all the requests, we assisted in keeping over 4,000 families in their homes and off the streets.

St. Vincent volunteers go out in pairs and conduct over 12,000 home visits annually. We see, listen and respond to the needs of our neighbors. Our home visit work gives us a true and accurate picture of struggling families here in Seattle and King County. St. Vincent is often able to assist neighbors to get ahead of eviction by helping to pay that extra rent of $300 or $400 dollars for the thousands of people teetering on the edge of homelessness.

According to numerous research reports fighting homelessness by preventing evictions can save taxpayers as much as $50,000 per year per person.

Ned Delmore, Executive Director of St. Vincent de Paul, made a powerful observation at the 2017 Blue Dress Breakfast on May 10 after presenting Leah’s Story to 350 donors attending the breakfast.

He said, “St. Vincent de Paul believes that the best antidote to reducing homelessness
is preventing people from becoming homeless.”

(read his breakfast remarks here)

When SVdP is called, we show up on the front lines in neighborhoods all over King County. St. Vincent de Paul works with other agencies for single mothers and our senior citizens who cannot stretch their limited dollars and need to pay the overdue electrical bill while worrying about the threat of eviction. It can stem from insufficient income, unexpected health diagnosis, job loss, an injury, a mental disorder and more. All of these situations can and do hasten the inevitability of homelessness. Poverty has no boundaries.

WE’RE HAVING OUR FIRST EVER
FASHION BRAND EVENT | MAY 18-20

Our store team has been collecting brand name apparel for over three months.You will see some of the hottest and most sought after brands including Nike, Eileen Fisher, Kate Spade, Tory Burch, and Ralph Lauren. These items will sell briskly at prices that are a fraction of traditional retail.

All five of our stores are involved in this event on May 18, 19 & 20.
Hours are from 9 am to 7 pm each day.

We invite you to participate in two ways.

• Donate to any of our stores
• Come in and shop

Our store sale proceeds help fund our programs and fight homelessness
by preventing evictions.

Our locations

Seattle 13555 Aurora Avenue N. | 206-364-8495

Burien 13445 1st Avenue S. | 206-243-6370

Kenmore 7304 NE Bothell Way | 425-483-9497

Kent 310 N. Central | 253-277-0211

Renton 575 Rainier Avenue N. | 425-226-9426

Gym Rats: Working for the Common Good!

Recently, I had the opportunity, after 47 years, to reconnect with an old basketball foe, who is now the Governor of our great state of Washington, Jay Inslee.

I met him face to face again (off the basketball court) in the
Governor’s Office in Olympia. We talked about the seriousness of the economic and political realities that face our families and communities throughout the state. I sensed the same intense spirit in that room that drove us on the court and propelled us into public service today.

We reminisced about the 1969 Metro Championship game, Garfield vs Ingraham. It was a joyful and playful reconnection, in spite of my raw memories of that loss, which still haunts, at the hands of the state champion, Ingraham.

Jay’s recall of detail from that era was as impressive as his team’s cohesion and his coach Walt Milroy’s acumen to execute and win.

The fire that lives in a competitor never fades. It is redirected and passionately refocused. What drove him on the court as a young man drives him to achieve for the greater team of all Washingtonians today.

Back in the day, you had two archrivals competing on the basketball court; today they were conferring in the Governor’s office about St. Vincent de Paul’s eviction prevention services that keep 4,000 people housed in King County every year.

We also talked about SVdP/Centro Rendu’s grassroots Latino outreach and education programs, as well as their vulnerabilities. We listened carefully with his staff where there might be a potential collaboration between the state and SVdP.

What also is true and evident about these moments with our Governor is his compassion and courage to fight for the rights of all citizens no matter what their status in life.

It was a prized moment that I was grateful to be part of.

Ned Delmore

St. Vincent de Paul welcomes the stranger, our neighbor, children, and families who have been directly targeted because of the color of their skin, their religion, and the manner in which they speak.

Photo Above
A volunteer student and neighbor of St. Vincent de Paul is shown above serving families and her community. She is sharing bread with a young boy at our Centro Rendu office in Kent. We are the people we serve.

We are responding to those who find themselves being watched, stalked, and stranded in desolation. Individuals and families who have been excluded and suffer the daily trauma of carrying in their
heads and hearts the message that you don’t belong and your days are numbered as they wait for the knock on their door. 

We call on the words of Pope Francis who summons us to protect and defend the dignity of every human person, especially the poor and the vulnerable. Further, he states that authentic power resides in service as we embrace the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest and the least important. 

St. Vincent de Paul has a deep history and tradition of recognizing the face of the poor and loving them for who they are. We are bread for each other and we extend our hands to you from Centro Rendu in our Kent and Renton stores as well as our Georgetown Food Bank as a safe space, a refuge where we will listen, hear and respond with compassion and dignity. 

We value you as our brothers and sisters. 

Ned Delmore
Executive Director
SVdP Seattle

Shop Our President’s Day Sale!

Our President’s Day Sale is Monday Feb. 20 — the perfect time to find great deals, great selection and great brands! And we still have a lot of outerwear — with new coats, jackets, scarves, and gloves. See all the details below.