History
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Mucurapo Conference was formed on 9 March 1947/ The Conference celebrated sixty (60) years of service to the community. The first female member was Ms. Amanda Ishmael (as this was an all male group) and the first lady President was Leah Gordon, who was elected on 17th June 1993.
At present, the member with the longest service recently celebrated thirty-six (36) years in the Conference.
We serve the community of St. James, Bournes Road, Cocorite and its environs in assisting to meet their needs, irrespective of race, colour, creed or religion.
It is abundantly clear that the St. Vincent de Paul Society makes an invaluable contribution to the less fortunate, and indeed the wider community of T&T through committed and dedicated members.
Mission
The Mission of St. Vincent De Paul is to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service (feeding, sheltering and other channels), to those who are needy and suffering, in the tradition of its founder, Blessed Frederic Ozanam, and patron, St. Vincent De Paul.
The Society is an international, non-profit, charitable organization which operates in 130 countries and has over 950,000 members. Members (Vincentians) come in every shade of skin colour. All are blessed with an awareness that our blessings (time, talent or treasure) are to be shared with our brothers and sisters in need.
Executive
St Vincent De Paul - Senior
- President - Angela Gonzales (628 3466)
- Vice President - Ann Williams
- Treasurer - Rossan Bailey Kerr
St Vincent De Paul – Junior
- Formation Leader - Creech Blenman (722 9831)
- President - Ginnel Seale (628 9512)
Where we help
- Weekly "Meals on Wheels" Food Programme
- Homes for the Aged
- Night Shelters for homeless men and women
- Hostels for Boys, men and women
- Halfway Houses
- Centres for the socially displaced
- Nursey for children living with HIV
- Emergency financial assistance
- Emergency transportation
- Disaster relief and services to victims
- Rent assistance
- Low cost housing
- Counselling/Information
- Referral service
- Education programmes
- Back to school assistance
- Twinning : Foreign and Domestic
- Prison Ministry
- Burial of the indigent
- Embracing the lonely, forgotten and alienated
- Services to those in any way challenged
Our Conference
Our Conference at St. Mary's is headed by a President who appoints an Executive, which consists of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Assistant Secretary/Treasurer. The term of office of the President is three (3) years and he/she is allowed to serve two (2) executive terms.
Meetings are held on Tuesday at 6:30p.m. at the Church
Members of the Society are people who live out their faith in action by visiting people in their homes to provide support, friendship, material and financial assistance. This practice is known as home visitation. People who are being assisted by conference members are often provided with funds, clothing and household goods, building materials, books and other necessities.
Those we assist are called our friends or charges. Funds are raised through various fundraising events and the 1st Sunday collections.
Monthly, the President reports to the Vicariate Body and annually, audited financial and statistical reports are submitted to the National Body.