Making a Difference, One Neighbor at a Time

“Creating a safe and trusting environment conducive to open and meaningful conversations is a powerful tool for working to reduce homelessness. Ned Delmore, senior adviser at St. Vincent de Paul of Seattle | King County, emphasizes the importance of relationship for keeping families in their homes. “One verifiable method of reducing homelessness in Seattle is to have a system in place that anticipates a future eviction, coordinates decision making and resources and stops this action from occurring.”

When relationships and trust are built, community members whose housing stability is at risk can freely speak about the complex issues they are facing, allowing tailored solutions to be discovered. This personalized method is at the core of the work St. Vincent de Paul is doing. Home visits and other specialized programs offer individuals and families the necessary resources that will empower them to face future challenges independently.

The home visit is central to this approach. Spending time with community members in their own homes ensures they do not have to find transportation or childcare to access services. It allows for the completion of holistic needs-assessments that are pivotal to recognizing the elements that can lead to an eviction. At SVdP, volunteer outreach teams have direct access to in-house professional staff case managers who can collaborate to address more complex issues discovered during these assessments.

Home visits also build trust and a more authentic engagement that is grounded in honoring the dignity of each person. “Our shared vulnerability is our connecting factor,” says Adelfa Moreno, SVdP board president. “We serve our neighbors as equals.”

Looking at today’s statistics, over 28% of Washington households fall below the Self-Sufficiency Standard, and nearly half of these are Hispanic/Latino households. Culturally and linguistically isolated communities of color face disproportionate barriers to access public assistance programs, quality education, parenting support, job training, and even basic needs. This makes comprehensive case management an important priority. For the past 11 years, SVdP has spearheaded expansive, community-informed Hispanic/Latino programming, which has become a foundational support for families in need.

SVdP Executive Director Mirya Muñoz-Roach shares that “under the umbrella of Centro Rendu, St. Vincent de Paul provides safe spaces for vital services grounded in culturally responsive strategies that engage and empower communities and future generations.”

Centro Rendu’s work fosters resilience and well-being in the Hispanic/Latino immigrant community by providing equitable access to culturally relevant adult basic education, linguistically appropriate case management support, and employment and career advancement.

While completing developmental assessments for children during home visits, Centro Rendu staff have identified learning delays which otherwise would have been detected much later, causing greater challenges for families already impacted by poverty. In response, Centro Rendu offers interventions like family and early childhood home-based education, mentorship and advocacy for at-risk youth, truancy prevention and college access.

In every neighborhood across King County, St. Vincent de Paul responds with personalized support to the growing needs in our community. Approximately 40,000 urgent requests for help come through the SVdP Helpline each year, and nearly half of those are referrals from the 211 King County Crisis line. Often, callers have reached the end of what traditional support systems can offer or are facing complex life circumstances where tailored solutions are needed. Helpline responders connect callers with Vincentian volunteer outreach teams who live right in their own neighborhoods, who meet them wherever they are in their journey toward self-sufficiency and provide immediate relief and practical tools to get families back on their feet.

Through SVdP’s Network of Care, trained volunteers and professional staff, St. Vincent de Paul joins the community to bring hope and help through listening, engaging and building relationships to help individuals and families meet basic needs and achieve self-sufficiency.”