Honolulu St. Vincent de Paul assistance programs.
Honolulu individuals and families, regardless of their religion and background, may be able to receive both short and long term assistance from the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. The churches and charities that are part of the organization will support everyone who qualifies, regardless of their race, age, creed or other factors.
A number of services are offered. Even if St. Vincent can't meet your need, then they can often provide referrals or other forms of guidance. Volunteers wok with the agency and will visit potential clients in their home to ensure that they are provided with the help they need.
- Receive collaboration with other people in clarifying the need and also in addressing the causes of the hardship. So this can include information on job training in Hawaii, government benefits, and more.
- Coordinate affordable housing to income qualified families in their Manana Gardens Apartments. This is a housing unit that is operated by St. Vincent social services.
- Receive counseling and more. The volunteers will act as advocates for the rights of those in need as well as the poor.
- Seniors, the sick, and elderly may receive visits. This is offered for hospitals and other home care.
- While much more limited, material and financial assistance is available. This will include free food, clothing, and financial help for paying bills or rent.
The Society will make the determination to issue any financial support and it will be based on the recommendation of the visiting team.
Most of the aid offered and coordinated in Honolulu is done from Vincentians. These individuals are unpaid volunteers from your local parish or church. They work very closely with the Society of Saint Vincent and administration groups. Each and every Vincentian brings to the plate their experience in an effort to help the poor and low income.
The volunteers specialize in home visits and are trained at identifying problems or needs of the poor and low income. A key goal is to serve clients both efficiently and quickly. St. Vincent will also work closely with other regional non-profits and government resources in Hawaii. They work in close cooperation with other government and private social services agencies. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Hawaii will take referrals from virtually any source or group that is willing to assist. They will often enlist the help of other charities, agencies, private and government resources and more in an effort to obtain assistance for a client.
If an individual needs something that St. Vincent can't provide, then they will share and exchange information with other non-profits. During this entire process respect for proper client confidentiality will not be jeopardized. All of this is done as the welfare of the client will be paramount to the charity.
Resources are limited, especially when it comes to funds or cash to pay bills. So unfortunately there are times when a client may be refused assistance. Other instances in when this may be true is when St. Vincent de Paul discovers fraud or abuse. The applicants also needs to work with Saint Vincent to develop a longer term action plan to find a solution to their problem.
For example, if you are requesting funds to pay your rent or say an energy bill, St. Vincent can't just continue to pay your expenses. The client needs to work to get back on track so they can pay the bills, on their own, in short order. So the Vincentian is there to help in this process and can refer people to job training or employment opportunities in Honolulu.
Also, the Society of St. Vincent is obligated to assist in Disaster Relief, if their resources allow this. So this can include basic needs such as shelter, housing food, or similar support. However the agency is often stretched thin and can't meet this need. They also work, as needed, with Catholic Charities and Parish Outreach Coordinators on this.