The Society of St. Vincent de Paul - Phoenix

WE DID IT! 🎉 What started out as a goal to permanently rehouse 2,025 people experiencing homelessness by 2025 has become a reality for SVdP as we have surpassed our “Housing 2025” goal a half year ahead of schedule and rehoused 2,061 people!! This milestone was made possible by our dedicated staff, volunteers, donors, and community partners—thank you for your unconditional support! This achievement not only calls for celebration but also instills hope, as our rehousing model proves effective. Notably, the Maricopa Association of Governments reported a 17% reduction in homelessness in Phoenix this past year. It's a reduction only possible with collaboration across community partners, but SVdP is proud to be a small but mighty factor in moving people off our streets and into housing. Hear from SVdP's Rob & Melani Walton Endowed CEO, Shannon Clancy, and Chief of Staff, Pat Donaldson, as they reflect on the success of Housing 2025 and our new goal to rehouse 250 more individuals before 2025!

Take a look at those smiles! 😃 As kiddos from our NextPhase Family Dining Room went back to school this week, they returned with school essentials thanks to Next Phase Enterprises, which handed out nearly 400 backpacks filled with supplies during their annual Summer Back-to-School event for SVdP. The event was a joyous occasion with fun activities for our Dream Center students led by their dedicated volunteers. Thank you so much, Next Phase Enterprises, for ensuring that our families in need are well-prepared for the school year ahead.✏📚📏

Thanks to your generous donation last month, we successfully collected over 1.43 million bottles of water for the ABC15 Arizona Water Drive! Thank you to our dedicated partners—ABC15 Arizona, Arizona 61, Bashas', and Food City—for their support throughout the month. And a special thank you to our incredible community for stepping up and making a difference. Your contributions went beyond providing water; they became a vital lifeline for those most vulnerable during the scorching summer heat. We invite you to view our recap of this successful water drive, highlighting some of the check presentations and the collective effort that helped us save lives this summer: https://lnkd.in/gBE-M3JD.

Huge thank you to Vanguard for their incredible $25,000 donation in support of our mission to feed those in need. This ensures that our charity dining rooms continue to serve hot, nourishing meals, and it will help us purchase a variety of products in bulk for emergency food boxes. Thanks for making a significant difference in the lives of countless families and individuals, and for your belief in our mission!

We are honored to be the beneficiaries of Capital Power's Community Sustainability Fund! With a generous grant of $20,000, we can continue to support our community-based farms and farmers' market. Our farms are vital for our dining rooms and central kitchen, which feed thousands of food-insecure, low-income families, and our unhoused population every day. Additionally, our urban farms offer enriching volunteer opportunities, fostering a sense of community and involvement. Thank you, Capital Power, for your commitment to creating a brighter world powered by responsible energy.

Cereal box domino-effect of kindness! 😃👏 Western Wealth Communities recently donated over 500 boxes of cereal to St. Vincent de Paul, providing vital support to families experiencing food insecurity. Before making their generous donation, they created a heartwarming domino-effect video with the collected cereal boxes, adding a touch of fun to their act of kindness. Read the inspiring story behind this successful drive and watch as the first cereal box tips over, setting off the domino-effect throughout the Western Wealth Communities office: https://lnkd.in/gUyyyK7g

We are deeply grateful to Bank of America for their generous $30,000 grant, awarded to support our mission of preventing homelessness across the Valley. Thanks to your help, SVdP's homelessness prevention program will be able to keep more individuals and families in their homes with rent, mortgage, and utility assistance. Thank you, Bank of America, for your commitment to our community!

We’re kicking off the month of food in our 100 Days of Summer campaign this July with our Summer Pantry Challenge! 👊 We challenge YOU to join our creative food drive running now through July 31, to help feed our neighbors in need while adding a fun twist to giving back. 😃 This is a perfect opportunity for kids, groups, or colleagues to come together and make a difference. Check out how to get started in this cool graphic. Don't forget to post your creation on social media using our hashtag #SVdPPantryChallenge and tag to nominate 2-3 more people or groups to take on this challenge next! The drive can be as easy as asking your neighbors, friends, and family to donate items from their pantries or as ambitious as brainstorming ways to gather even more goods. Whichever route you choose, make sure to have fun! Ready to start? Click here to register your drive: https://lnkd.in/gsAjPgT2

This past month, CCMC, a large-scale community management firm, united with three of its community partners and eight of its Valley communities to support SVdP's 100 Days of Summer campaign. Together, they spread the word about our campaign to help collect much-needed water for our neighbors experiencing homelessness. And today, thanks to their collective efforts, SVdP's truck departed from CCMC's corporate office in Scottsdale, loaded with approximately 5,000 bottles of water! To make an even greater impact, CCMC has pledged to match all donations doubling the impact, bringing it to more than 10,000 bottles of water! What a wonderful gift to those in need. THANK YOU!

Yesterday, SVdP proudly hosted its inaugural Juneteenth celebration, welcoming over 200 community members and staff to our main campus for a special event. Attendees were greeted by the vibrant sounds of afro beats performed by Kapsol Music. Guests enjoyed a delicious breakfast while hearing from Bob and Beverley Elliott, founders of the African American Museum of Southern Arizona, as they shared the history of Juneteenth and its significance for our state. 💚💛❤️🖤 Our Director of Resource Center, Cherylyn Strong, opened the program with these inspiring words: "Freedom is highly valued here at St. Vincent de Paul. The freedom of every human to thrive, to be nourished, to be sheltered, to be safe, to be respected. Our values are reflected in our mission to feed, clothe, house, and heal together our brothers and sisters in need." Watch the entire video to hear our community's reflections on this special day and to catch a glimpse of the entire event: https://lnkd.in/gUhtatK4