SVdP was founded in 1833 by Frederic Ozanam, a 20-year-old student in Paris. Frederic and a group of fellow students began to seek out and visit the poor of Paris, taking them food and clothing and offering their friendship and concern. This small group adopted the great French priest St. Vincent de Paul who alerted the world to social problems as their Patron. Similar groups grew in Paris, then to the rest of France, and eventually spread throughout the Christian world with the purpose of serving others as an extension of God’s love.
ABOUT
SVdP: History of Serving
Inspired by Gospel values, Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) is an international organization of men and women joined together in spiritual growth, dedicated to offering person-to-person service to those who are in need, living on the margins, or experiencing homelessness.
SVdP Indy
St. Vincent de Paul-Indianapolis (SVdP Indy) began in the 1940s, and since that time, our ministry has spread throughout Central and Southern Indiana.
Wherever we are, we strive to meet the immediate basic physical needs of the most vulnerable in our communities. As our relationships with our neighbors deepen, we offer education and support to help foster systemic change and break the cycle of poverty. Whether we’re meeting day-to-day needs or offering hope for a different type of future, we strive to love our neighbors in a way that’s honoring, dignified and respectful.
SVdP Indy provides services to individuals without regard to race, creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, criminal justice status, disability, marital status, veteran status, national origin or age. Additionally, we actively seek to recruit and retain volunteers without regard to race, creed (except for active members), color, gender, sexual orientation, criminal justice status, disability, marital status, veteran status, national origin or age.
1833
Amid the political, social, religious and economic turmoil of early 19th century France, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul originates. As a young student at the Sorbonne, Antoine Frédéric Ozanam is appalled by the conditions he sees in Paris. Adopting St. Vincent de Paul as their patron, Frederic and his fellow students begin taking food and clothing to those in need. Similar groups spread throughout the Christian world with the purpose of visiting those in need as an extension of God’s love. Currently, SVdP has about 900,000 members in 151 countries.
1845
The United States Society of St. Vincent de Paul is established in St. Louis, Missouri, at the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France, popularly called “The Old Cathedral.” Today, the National Council provides resources, training and spiritual formation for nearly 90,000 Vincentians in 4,500 Conferences and Councils across the country.
1946
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul-Indianapolis Archdiocesan Council, Inc. (SVdP Indy) forms to serve people experiencing homelessness or living on the margins. Today, SVdP Indy has 1,388 Vincentians and 58 Conferences in central and southern Indiana.
1973
Father Bill Munshower forms SVdP Conference within Holy Spirit parish and establishes several committees, each specializing in their choice of service areas (home visitation, Julietta, nursing home, etc.). View letter
1979
The store moves to the basement floor of Sacred Heart, requiring the construction of a ramp.
View letter
1982
Boulevard Place Food Pantry, an affiliate of SVdP Indy, is established on the property of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church.
1984
1985
1992
1993
1999
SVdP Indy opens its food pantry on Span Ave. for Central Indiana residents. The pantry moves to its current location in 2007, and today is the largest client-choice food pantry in the Midwest, serving nearly 4,000 households weekly.
2009
2011
Our Changing Lives Forever program launches, helping participants lift themselves out of poverty by learning skills to become economically self-sufficient. Graduates have found employment, been able to continue their education, and overcome addictions. More than 500 participants have graduated to date.
2012
Boulevard Place Food Pantry moves to its present location. The pantry is supported by five contributing Catholic parishes: St. Luke, Joan of Arc, Christ the King, Immaculate Heart of Mary, and St. Thomas Aquinas.
2016
Our first Mission 27 thrift store opens. Named in memory of St. Vincent de Paul’s feast day on September 27, proceeds provide more nutritional food offerings at the food pantry, and help support our Changing Lives Forever program.
2019
2020
We establish a drive-thru pantry during COVID 19 pandemic—with generous support from the Indiana National Guard.
2020
We expand the Blue Bin program to support the inventory needs of Mission 27, which in turn, generates revenue to support special works.
2020
2022
A supportive housing unit, called The Love Your Neighbor Center (LYNC), opens. In addition to providing residential housing and programming for unsheltered men, LYNC is home to our business, executive and administrative departments.
2022
2022
2023
Our Values
We endeavor to serve those in need cheerfully, listening to them well and helping them to feel and recover their own dignity.
We seek to establish relationships based on empathy, trust and friendship, while observing the utmost confidentiality.
We strive to promote self-sufficiency, and help people help themselves whenever possible, so they can forge their own paths and that of our local community.
We are committed to identifying the root causes of poverty and to work toward their elimination.
BECOME A VINCENTIAN
Our members are known as Vincentians and are united by their spirit of poverty, humility and sharing, and nourished by prayer and reflection, mutually supportive gatherings, and adherence to The Rule.
Interested in becoming a Vincentian?
Our Staff
Paul Ainslie
Council President
Peter Zubler
Executive Director
Wendy Harlow
Philanthropy Director
Dee Dellacca
Director of Finance
Mark White
Director of Retail Operations
Darlene J. Sweeney
Director, Volunteer Services
Skip McCulley
Director, Distribution Center
Andrea Leadford
Director, Changing Lives Forever
Crystal Wiley
Director, Love Your Neighbor Center
Pat Jerrell
Past President
Links & Resources
RESOURCES
- Mission 27 Information Sheet
- Soup Kitchens (phones/hours/addresses)
- Food Pantries by Zip Code
- Community Compass through Indy Hunger Network
NORTH DISTRICT CONFERENCES BYLAWS
- St Joan of Arc Bylaws
- St. Joan of Arc Signature Page
- St. Pius X Bylaws
- St Pius X Signature Page
- St. Thomas Aquinas Bylaws revised 2.4.19
- St. Thomas Aquinas Signature
- St. Rita Bylaws
- St. Rita Signature
- Sts. Peter and Paul ConferenceBylaws-Dec2018
- Sts. Peter and Paul Signature Page
- St. Luke ConferenceBylaws-Dec2018
- St Luke Signature Page
- St. Andrew ConferenceBylaws with Signature Page-Dec2018
- St Matthew ConferenceBylaws with Signature Page-Dec2018
- Immaculate of Mary ConferenceBylaws with Signature Page-Dec2018
- Christ the King ConferenceBylaws-Dec2018
- Christ the King Signature
SOUTH DISTRICT CONFERENCES BYLAWS
- Bylaws for Santo Rosario with Signature page
- St Thomas More ConferenceBylaws-withSignaturePage-Dec2018
- St. Jude ConferenceBylaws-withSignaturePage-Dec2018
- Good Shephard ConferenceBylaws-withSignaturePage-Dec2018
- St John the Evangelist ConferenceBylaws-withSignaturePage-Dec2018
- St. Barnabas ConferenceBylaws-withSignaturePage-Dec2018
- St Patrick ConferenceBylaws-withSignaturePage-Dec2018
- St Roch ConferenceBylaws-withSignaturePage-Dec2018 (2)
- St Mark the Evangelist ConferenceBylaws-withSignaturePage-Dec2018
- Holy Name of Jesus ConferenceBylaws-withSignaturePage-Dec201
- Nativity ConferenceBylaws-Dec2018
- Signature pages for Nativity and OLG
- Our Lady of the Greenwood ConferenceBylaws-Dec2018
- Sacred Heart of Jesus ConferenceBylaws-withSignaturePage-Dec2018
EAST DISTRICT CONFERENCES BYLAWS
- Holy Spirit Conference (Indianapolis) (April 2019)
- St. Phillip Neri Conference (Indianapolis) (April 2019)
- St.Phillip Neri Signature page
- SVdP Indy-Conference-Bylaws-St Mary April2019
- St Lawrence Conference Bylaws with Signature page
- Little Flower ConferenceBylaws-Dec2018
- Signature pages for Little Flower, Holy Spirit, and St. Mary
- St. Simon ConferenceBylaws
- St Simon Signature Page
- Our Lady of Lourdes ConferenceBylaws-Dec2018
- Signature page for Our Lady of Lourdes
WEST DISTRICT CONFERENCES BYLAWS
- Holy Angels Conference Bylaws-withSignaturePage-Dec2018
- St. Paul Apostle Conference Bylaws-withSignaturePage-Dec2018
- St. Monica Conference Bylaws-withSignaturePage-Dec2018
- St, Michael the Archangel Conference Bylaws-withSignaturePage-Dec2018
- St. Joseph Conference Bylaws-withSignaturePage-Dec2018
- St, Anthony Conference Bylaws-withSignaturePage-Dec2018
- St, Ann Conference Bylaws-withSignaturePage-Dec2018
- St. Gabriel Conference Bylaws-withSignaturePage-Dec2018
- St. Susanna Conference Bylaws-withSignaturePage-Dec2018
- St. Malachy Conference Bylaws-withSignaturePage-Dec2018
- Annunciation Conference Bylaws-withSignaturePage-Dec2018
- St. Christophers Conference Bylaws-withSignaturePage-Dec2018
SOUTH CENTRAL DISTRICT CONFERENCES BYLAWS
- St. Agnes Conference (Nashville) (April 2019)
- St. Bartholomew Conference (Columbus) (April 2019)
- St. Joseph and St. Vincent de Paul Conference (March 2019)
- St. Mary Conference (North Vernon) (April 2019)
- St Vincent dePaul (Bedford) Conference BYLAWS – with signaturepage
- Bloomington St. John The Apostle Bylaws_2019_05_22 (1)
- St. Ambrose Conference Bylaws 4-19
- Bylaw Signatures for South Central District
- Electronic Signature Page for St Ambrose Conference (showing 2nd signature)
- St. Martin of Tours (Martinsville)
SOUTHERN INDIANA DISTRICT CONFERENCES BYLAWS
- St. Anthony Conference (Clarksville) (April 2019)
- Holy Family Conference (New Albany) (April 2019)
- St. Mary of the Annunciation Conference (New Albany) (Spring 2019)
- St. John Paul II Conference (Sellersburg) (April 2019)
- St. Joseph Conference Bylaws 2019
- OLPH Conference Bylaws 2019
- Tri-Parish Conference Bylaws 2019
- Signature Pages for Southern Indiana Conferences
FISCAL YEAR OCTOBER 2022- SEPTEMBER 2023
Impact Report
At SVdP Indy, we’re passionate about making an impact in our community.
