Parish St.Vincent de Paul Society

St. Francis Parish Home

During the last six  months this fund has been used to help many struggling families with expenses like: Car Repairs,  Housing Rent to Stop Eviction, Medical Prescriptions, Dental Work, Electric Bill, Water Heater, etc…

When you contribute to the St. Vincent de Paul Fund you are reaching out to help others.
Thank you for your contribution to our Parish St. Vincent de Paul Fund.

Snapshots of the families you helped:

 Your generosity prevented the eviction of a 19 year old Washtenaw Community College student whose roommate left without warning. Her mother, who was recently released from a nursing home, has moved in to share expenses.

 You assisted with monthly expenses for a severely disabled woman whose Social Security benefits were unexpectedly terminated. This bridged a gap while Legal Services worked to solve her problem.

 You helped with a car repair for a single mom in Safe House so she could get to work and take her child to day care.

 You provided utility help for a single working mom who got behind because she had to pay a large day care bill, which the absent father had quit paying. Thanks to your help she was able to get caught up.

These are just a few examples of those whose lives were improved by your benevolence. Friends In Deed says thank you on behalf of those whose lives you touched.

A Set of Common Criteria

This is a Set of Common Criteria by which to determine for whom our parish community will offer aid especially for members who are running into difficulty due to the economic downturn.

 the person has experienced a significant transition / event (loss of job/income, surprise expense/auto accident/illness or death in family.

the person can document income and bills and can show a history of paying those bills on time.

the person is willing to be involved in setting goals for the future.

the person shows evidence of offering their own talents to help others.

the person is willing to consider making use of alternative food supplies from local panties and/or free meals.

the person is willing to consider any self-help suggestions such as financial management help and individual, family or marriage counseling (The thought behind this is that individuals, marriages and families are under a great deal of stress when they are going through crisis and may need outside support).

the person seeking financial help is a member (or known as active) in the community.

the person understands that any financial assistance grant is temporary (one or two months at most).

the person is expected to make phone contact with the Department of Human Services (734-481-2000) to inquire about additional sources of assistance, which may be available from Washtenaw County and/or Michigan State of Michigan Emergency Relief.

the person is also expected to make phone contact with our congregational network Friends-in-Deed to inquire about additional sources of assistance, which may be available.

     I would like to share with you how the church has helped our family in our time of need.  My husband and I both worked in the IT field at good jobs until my husband was laid off this summer. He has been trying to find work since then.
 

        I just received news today that our children are going to get gifts through the giving tree program at St. Francis, and, that the St. Vincent de Paul at St. Francis will help pay our housing this month. When I opened the letter I just started to cry. I was not expecting something like this.  The amount of relief I felt was overwhelming.

           A year ago when each of my children were picking a tag off the giving tree at St. Francis….  I would have never imagined that in that short time we were in a spot to then be on the tree instead of giving the gifts.  We are so grateful for all of the blessings that the church has brought to us.  I can not say how much it means to me not to have to worry that they will not have an Christmas gifts because we can not afford it this year.  Thank you again for all that you have given us.

Friends in Christ,
A Fellow St. Francis Family

I continue to be affected by our ongoing economic problems.

My name is Ann and I’m a long time parish member. My husband’s union pension check with our social security helped us keep our heads above water. Last year my husband passed away. His pension was payable only as long as he was alive. Now I have to get by with only social security. As a mother and homemaker, I’ve never worked outside the home so my social security check isn’t very big. I have ongoing health and vision issues making it almost impossible for me to get out of the house. This time of year most of my income goes to utilities.

I’m writing to ask for your help. Help for all those like myself trying to get along in these difficult times.

Parish St.Vincent de Paul Society

St. Francis Parish Home