The St. Vincent de Paul Conference at St. Anne’s parish is a network of friends, inspired by Gospel values, growing in holiness and building a more just world through personal relationship with and service to people in need. Our help is spiritual, material addressing the need in charity and justice. We serve the poor in St. Anne’s neighborhood by assisting them with their individual needs, feeding the hungry and distributing food to the needy.
People are welcomed to join us at our monthly conference meeting and/or volunteering at our monthly feeding and food distribution events. They can also donate canned and packaged food by dropping them off at the Parish Office.
Our History
The International Society of St. Vincent de Paul was founded in 1833 by Frederic Ozanam, a 20-year-old student at the Sorbonne University in Paris, France. Challenged to "practice what they preach," Frederic and a group of fellow students sought out the poor in Paris and brought them bread, clothing and most importantly, friendship. Similar groups began forming throughout the world including the United States. The current Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda County was established in 1938.
Our Mission & Values
The mission of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is “a network of friends, inspired by Gospel values, growing in holiness and building a more just world through personal relationships with and service to people in need.”
Vincentians Today
The National Council of the United States Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a network of charity organizations with over 800,000 members. In Alameda County, SVdP is represented within a Catholic parish called a Conference. Members, known as Vincentians, serve those in need in their neighborhoods by collecting and distributing funds for eviction prevention, utility bills, and medical costs; providing clothing and furniture; and stocking church food pantries. Today over 800 Vincentian volunteers, across 37 parishes in Alameda County, assist 100,000+ people a year.
Vincentians At St Anne Church
The St Anne Conference serves those that are in need in our neighborhood. Here is a list of our services:
Home visits - As needed. We provide assistance on food, rents, utilities, furniture, clothing based on our assessment. We “twin” with other conferences to pay for things we cannot afford.
St Vinnie’s Place - We cook and serve lunch at the SVDP dining room on Decoto Rd., Fremont every 2nd Sunday of the month. Nowadays, we serve takeout meals only. St Vinnie’s Place is open every Sunday 11:30am-12:30pm.
USDA food distribution -We distributed USDA food from the Alameda Food Bank every 3rd Saturday of the month. This service is available to registered families and by appointment these days.
SVDP Oakland Campus- we volunteered in the dining room and at special events periodically.
Thanksgiving & Christmas baskets - we provide food baskets/ boxes using non-perishable food donations from our parishioners to registered families during the holiday season.
If you are interested to donate, please drop off your check at the Parish Office addressing Saint Vincent de Paul. If you would like to join us as a volunteer, become a member or request for emergency assistance/referrals, please call us at (341) 206-0426 or email us at SVDPStAnneUC@gmail.com .