One from Alameda County, one from Contra Costa County, both long term Vincentians dedicated in service to Christ’s Poor. “It was a great retreat..” “Good job and… I want a copy of that picture” said Al Gibson.

Contra Costa County was well represented with members from Good Shepherd, St. Joan of Arc and St. Mary’s.

A year ago the dilapidated kitchen of this Conference located in one of the most challenging communities in the Bay Area received a boost through the efforts of a new young president who believed that with a little bit of support she could change a community.

“This is a tangible example of what can happen with patient mentorship, some tense moments where partnerships can be formed, combined with the long term experience of the volunteer efforts of St. David’s Pantry.”

The keys to this expression of hope that started in the kitchen and flowed into the community were being open to new expressions of Vincentian service, being willing to support something new and a little bit of help.

Thank you, Carl Gellert and Celia Berta Gellert Foundation for the seed that blossomed into a Community of Hope.

The Society
of St. Vincent de Paul
of Contra Costa

In addition to these more common interests that are pursued, the students’ values, ideals and spiritual attitudes will be influenced by the “college” experience.

A College Conference or Conference of Younger People can be relatively self sufficient, requiring only
minimal guidance and input from an Advisor.

Furthermore, a College or Conference of Younger People’s relationship with the local District Council should be similar to that of an Adult Parish Conference.

To find out more about starting a “College Young Adult Conference” in your University, or College. Please contact Stephen Krank at (925)439-5060 ext.28 or by Email.

In Paris, St. Vincent would daily use the resources “down to the last loaf of bread” to serve those in need today.

Most nonprofit managers would say “You are out of your mind, you can’t build a business that way,”… they are exactly right.
It has never been the point of the Society to build a business…But to serve the poor with the urgency and efficaciousness, of Christ as he knocks at our door for help.

In Vincent’s day the essence of trusting God and taking the hand of the Parisian “Well to Do”, and welcoming them to come as he went on Home Visits on a consistent basis educated the Wealthy as to the actual plight of those in need, but also created the opportunity for God to bless them in joining in the work of the Society.

As Vincentians, we are the workers, we build faith by having faith, we bless, to meet the needs of those we serve as and when we are blessed, and yes we work.., and we work.., but as Vincentians we work smart.

Thank you for including all of us in your family.

The District Council Warehouse and Office Staff provided the logistic infrastructure for
The One Warm Coat Program for Contra Costa County, where since the day after Thanksgiving to 12/31/2008 we have collected over 6,000 warm coats, hats, and gloves.

So far have we have provided 5,100 of them free of charge to the homeless, low income families, and day laborers one at a time, and through 15 nonprofits including the Self Help Foundation, Loaves and Fishes, Love-a- Child Missions throughout the County.

Archbishop Romero once stated “We are Stewards of a future that is not our own”.

Almost eight years ago the Society of St. Vincent DePaul in Contra Costa County was on the verge of being insolvent. Like many of Bay Area NGO’s, the Society in Contra Costa had maintained a committed focus to the core work of the Society.

The world as we knew it was changing for nonprofits like St. Vincent de Paul. Our thrift stores and Auto Donation Program that had developed over the years as a source of material goods and some financial support for the Conferences. Warehouse Job Training Operations, District Council and any other Special Works Programs were no longer as efficient as sources of revenue.

Our Stores began to compete with retail stores like Wal-Mart and other nonprofits who, out of necessity, shifted their focus into “The Business of Thrift Store Marketing” and merchandising.
Our Board of Directors made some hard choices, a number of Stores were closed. Ron Westin became our Executive Director with a focus on reducing our services to those that were the most efficacious and shifted to sustainable support, primarily for those we serve through our network of Conferences in Contra Costa County.

This stewardship of having done the right thing, when it was needed to be done, placed the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Contra Costa County in a position of leadership for the work of the Society, as it is most needed with the change in the economy as we close the first decade of the new Millennium.

Part of the restructuring for our Auto Donation Program was the joining of resources with the District Councils of Society of St. Vincent DePaul in Alameda, San Mateo, San Francisco and Marin Counties to better coordinate, service our customers and make the program more cost effective.

Based on the cost effectiveness of this change, at the final 2008 District Council Meeting of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Contra Costa County, the Board passed a resolution that created a fund where * Conferences in Good Standing, will be able to access support and emergency funds, using 10% of the revenue generated from the Auto Donation as the funding source.

*Conference in Good Standing: Meets regularly as a Conference, Attends at
least four District Council or Regional Meetings a year and submits their
reports and statistics to the District Council in a timely manor.